Colonel Charles Edward Whaley

Charles Edward Whaley was born and raised in the community of Williamstown, Kentucky in Grant County. As a young boy, Colonel Whaley had no plans for attending college. He was unaware that some years later he would be one of twelve recipients of one of the most prestigious scholarships, the Marshall Scholarship. 

When Colonel Whaley graduated high school, his parents offered him a car or a college education. He chose education. Being a top high school graduate, the University of Kentucky offered Colonel Whaley a freshman scholarship, making him a first-generation college student.

Colonel Whaley declared his major in journalism and graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1949. After earning his journalism degree, Whaley went on to earn his master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York City — a class limited to only 50. While at Columbia, Whaley met many interesting people, including Nelle Harper Lee, who he worked with during a summer job. Lee would later go on to write the classic American novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.

With completing his master’s degree, Whaley was hired by the Courier Journal in Louisville as a general assignment reporter. Not long after starting his work, Colonel Whaley was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Instead of being sent to Korea, he was kept at the Fort Knox Headquarters to work in public information. He completed his U.S. Army service in 1952 and returned to Louisville to continue working for the Courier Journal.  

Colonel Whaley’s academic journey wasn’t finished yet. In 1954, he became the University of Kentucky’s first, and the oldest living, Marshall Scholar recipient. The Marshall Scholarship is considered to be one of the most prestigious scholarships for U.S. citizens. For 70 years, the program has offered college graduates the opportunity to study at any university in the United Kingdom. Colonel Whaley was accepted into the inaugural class of 12 Marshall Scholars in 1954 and chose to head to the United Kingdom to begin his two-year program at the University of Manchester. 

Colonel Whaley noted making several unique acquaintances during his time at the University of Manchester. One particular evening, Colonel Whaley found himself stranded after a party with a fellow Marshall Scholar due to the heavy rainfall. They ended up staying in the home of classmate Seretse Khama, the exiled King of Botswana. 

After completing his Marshall Scholarship in 1956, Colonel Whaley returned to Louisville to resume his work at the Courier Journal. It was here that he met Carol Sutton, his future wife and a fellow renowned journalist. Sutton went on to become the managing editor of the Courier Journal, making history as the first woman to lead a major daily newspaper in the United States. In recognition of her achievement, Time Magazine featured her on its 1976 “Women of the Year” cover.

Colonel Whaley and Sutton shared a deep commitment to advocating for educators and education in Kentucky. Colonel Whaley later became the education editor for the Courier Journal, a position that earned him a national award from the Education Writers Association for his coverage of Kentucky’s education issues. In 1964, he joined the Kentucky Education Association (KEA) as director of research and information, where he worked to improve equity and support for educators across the state. His efforts were recognized with the Lucy Harth Smith-Atwood S. Wilson Award for Civil and Human Rights in Education. From 1982 to 1985, Colonel Whaley served as KEA’s director of communications.

Colonel Whaley has received commissions from former Governors Julian Carroll, Martha Layne Collins, and Thelma Stovall. He nominated his two daughters, Colonel Kate Whaley Archer and Colonel Carrie Whaley Orman, who were commissioned earlier this year by Governor Andy Beshear.

Sources: WELLS-HOSLEY, J. (2024, February 29). Leap Day legacy: The remarkable life of UK’s oldest living alum born on Feb. 29. Kentucky Today. https://www.kentuckytoday.com/news/leap-day-legacy-the-remarkable-life-of-uk-s-oldest-living-alum-born-on-feb/article_aaaa2252-d719-11ee-9fbd-c7478b458c60.html