Interview with Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, June 3, 1980

Partial Transcript: This is Professor Charles P. Roland of the University of Kentucky History Department.

Segment Synopsis: Roland takes a tour of Chandler's home and compares it to Monticello. Chandler shows him various photos of his family.

Keywords: Children; Dick Byrd; Families; Family; Home tours; Homes; Kids; Monticello; Photos; Pictures; Richard Evelyn Byrd; Senates; Senators; Sentimental; Sentiments; Similarities; Thomas Jefferson; Versailles (Ky.); Wedding photos; Weddings

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; Families.; Memories.; Pictures.; Sentimentalism.; Versailles (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: I thought I'd, uh, show you my Ben-Gurion bible and some of my treasures.

Segment Synopsis: Chandler shows Roland his treasures, which came from Israeli political leaders, including a Hebrew Bible and a letter.

Keywords: 1943; 1967 War; Archeologists; Bibles; Committee of Military Affairs; David Ben-Gurion; Eyepatches; Hebrew; Israel; Jewish; Jewish state; Leaders; Military leaders; Moshe Dayan; Politicians; Tel Aviv; Wars of Liberation

Subjects: Bible.; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; Leadership.; Politicians.

Partial Transcript: That's my grandmother. She's Mary Terrell from Terrell County, South Carolina.

Segment Synopsis: Chandler shows Roland a photo of his grandmother accompanied by information about her life, as well as a photo of his father.

Keywords: Civil War; Covered wagons; Fathers; Grandparents; Memories; Missouri; Photos; Pictures; Sentimental; South Carolina; States' War; Will Rogers

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; Civil War.; Families.; Grandparent and child.; Pictures.; Sentimentalism.; Trimble County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: That's the latest, uh, pick-up from Transylvania to get their Distinguished Alumni award. They, they called me number one.

Segment Synopsis: H. Chandler shows off his Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater, Transylvania University. He says that he is the only living recipient of this award.

Keywords: Alumni; Alumnus; Awards; Distinguished alumni; High honors; Living; Transylvania College; Transylvania University

Subjects: Alumni and alumnae; Award winners.; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews

Partial Transcript: Uh, a lot of these pictures here, of course, you'll, uh, remember some of the things. This is an autographed picture of Mahatma Gandhi.

Segment Synopsis: H. Chandler points out some of his autographed photos from influential people, including Mahatma Gandhi and Charles Lindbergh, which were given to him during his political career.

Keywords: 1943; Autographed photos; Autographed pictures; Autographs; Charles Lindbergh; Committee of Military Affairs; Mahatma Gandhi; People; Photos; Pictures; Populists; Religions; Respect; Senate; Swearing in ceremonies; Swearing in ceremony

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; Pictures.; Politics and government; Religion and politics--Kentucky; Religion.

Partial Transcript: And that's Judge Landis, with his back--and that's Uncle Charlie Moran, who was one of my most beloved friends.

Segment Synopsis: H. Chandler provides backstory for his sports memorabilia that he collected through his career.

Keywords: 1922; 1974; 1979; Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Centre College; Charlie Moran; Coaches; Commissioners; Dedicated highways; Dr. Lloyd; Football; Girls' basketball teams; Highland Award; Highways; Judge Landis; Kenesaw Mountain Landis; Signed memorabilia; St. Louis (Mo.); UK vs LSU; Umpires

Subjects: Baseball.; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; Football.; Sports.

Partial Transcript: Um, I've always been interested in the State Police. Of course, you know I helped organize them.

Segment Synopsis: H. Chandler shows his honorary badge given to him by the Kentucky State Police, an organization which he helped organize. He talks about his relationship with the KSP, and how he continued to support them well into his later years.

Keywords: Golf tournaments; Highest honors; Honorary members; Police forces; Recognition; Sponsors; State police; Training camps; Trooper Island

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; Honor.; Kentucky State Police; Police; Police--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: This is a picture of the Albert B. Chandler Medical Center. And that was given to me by Dr. Singletary, the president of the university.

Segment Synopsis: Chandler shows a picture of the Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky after its dedication in his name. He also talks about a plaque given to him by the Commissioner of Baseball on Chandler's 80th birthday.

Keywords: Albert B. Chandler Hospital; Albert B. Chandler Medical Center; Awards; Baseball commissioners; National; Plaques; Post-war years; San Diego (Calif.); Service; Service awards; Singletary; UK; UKY; University of Kentucky; WW2; WWII; World War 2; World War II

Subjects: Awards.; Hospital and community.; Lexington (Ky.); Social service; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: And he is my, he is my good friend. I was responsible, partially, for him coming here.

Segment Synopsis: H. Chandler speaks about some of his sports mementos, as well as his relationship with UK basketball coach, Adolph Rupp.

Keywords: 1977; Adolph Rupp; Basketball teams; Best friends; Careers; Consolation; Contracts; Football teams; Jobs; Kentucky basketball; Memorial Coliseum; Men's basketball; Records; Retirement

Subjects: Basketball.; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; Rupp, Adolph, 1901-1977.

Partial Transcript: Uh, my chief claim to fame in college, and Frank Callaway, who played for the University of Tennessee and later with the Philadelphia Athletics gave me this one afternoon on Stoll Field in 1920.

Segment Synopsis: Chandler shows off his one-of-a-kind, signed baseballs. He recounts his relationship with Babe Ruth and how mistreated Ruth was in the baseball industry.

Keywords: Babe Ruth; Baseball; Connie Mack; Frank Callaway; Honus Wagner; Knoxville (Tenn.); Race relations; Tennessee; Transylvania College; Transylvania University; Ty Cobb; University of Tennessee

Subjects: African Americans--Race identity.; Autographs.; Baseball.

Partial Transcript: I think you--you're familiar with my story in baseball. I, I played in 1920 before I graduated from school.

Segment Synopsis: Chandler remembers his time in the minor leagues and playing college sports. He had an impressive record during his time minor leagues. His college sports career was interrupted after a shoulder injury during a football game at Transylvania University (then Transylvania College).

Keywords: 1947; Baseballs; Blue Grass League; Centre College; Chandler Field; Doubles; Footballs; Grafton (N.D.); Home runs; Lexington (Ky.); Lexington Reds; No-hitters; Quarterbacks; Red River Valley League; Saskatoon; Shoulder injuries; Shoulder injury; Transylvania College; Transylvania University

Subjects: Baseball.; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; College sports.; Lexington (Ky.); Minor league baseball.

Partial Transcript: Well years later, Billy Mulloy, who got to be the bishop of Covington. When I was playing up there in 1920, he had not--he hadn't gone to the seminary, he was just a boy about town.

Segment Synopsis: Chandler discusses his relationships with influential religious people, including Pope Pius XII. His life-long relationship with Billy Mulloy, who became the Bishop of Covington, Kentucky in 1944, led to a strong supporter in Chandler's life. He shows off photos of him and his family meeting the Abbot of Our Lady of Gethsemani and Pope Pius XII.

Keywords: 1928; Abbey of our Lady of Gethsemani; Billy Mulloy; Bishops; Catholicism; Father Frederic Dunne; Fear of flying; Fears; Flights; Flying; Honorary doctorate degree; Kentucky.; North Dakota.; Pope Pius XII; Popes; Supporters

Subjects: Bishops.; Pope; Religion.; Trappist (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: This is Mr. Clark Griffith, who's, uh, the owner of the Washington Senators and was one of my, uh, finest supporters in baseball.

Segment Synopsis: Chandler goes through old photos and provides the achievements associated with them, including a cherished baseball team, the Lexington Reo, and awards like that given to the Kentuckian of the Year.

Keywords: Baseballs; Clark Griffith; FBI; J. Edgar Hoover; John N. Garner; John Nance Garner; KSP; Keeneland Association; Kentuckian of the Year; Kentucky Broadcaster of the Year; Kentucky State Police; Lexington (Ky.); Lexington Reo; London; Memberships; Security; Supporters; Washington Senators

Subjects: Achievers; Baseball.; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; Influential people

Partial Transcript: Uh, this is Bob Reynolds who was the Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee when I was in the Senate. He's from North Carolina.

Segment Synopsis: Through various autographed photos, Chandler describes his encounters and relationships with American politicians, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. Some of the pictures date to his political career while others are from his time as Baseball Commissioner.

Keywords: 1939; Arthur Capper; Autographs; Baseball commissioners; Committee of Military Affairs; Evalyn Walsh McLean; Evalyn Washington McLean; FDR; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; Harry Byrd; Harry Truman; Heiress; Hope Diamond; Photos; Pictures; Presidents; Robert Reynolds; Swearing in ceremony; U.S. Senate; United States Senate

Subjects: Politicians.; Politics and government; Presidents--United States; United States. Congress. Senate.

Partial Transcript: There's the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. I was the first man inducted in the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.

Segment Synopsis: Chandler shows off his multitude of service awards and recognition that he received throughout his lifetime.

Keywords: 1959; 1963; Adolph Rupp; Adolph Rupp Award; Amateur baseball leagues; American Cancer Society; Awards; Ballington and Maud Booth Award; Ballington and Maud Booth Society; Brooklyn Dodgers; Bull Pen Club; Chairman; Contribution; Distinguished service; Frankfort (Ky.); Graham McNamee; Graham McNamee Award; Hall of Fame; Homecoming festival; Honorary member; Humanity; Jack Dempsey; Jackie Robinson; Kentucky; Key to the city; Lexington Quarterback Tip Off Club; Louisville (Ky.); Most benefitted; National Baseball Congress; Outstanding Fan Award; PKA Fraternity; Pee Wee Reese; Pikes; Plaques; Sandlot baseball; Southeastern Kentucky; Sports; Sports Broadcasters Association; Transylvania University basketball; UK; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky Athletics; Versailles (Ky.)

Subjects: Awards; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews; Civil service

Partial Transcript: That's Mr. Connie Mack, and that's an autographed picture of him. You see there?

Segment Synopsis: Going through old photos, Chandler discusses his relationships with some celebrities, a general, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Keywords: Babe Ruth; Baseball; Bing Crosby; Bob Hope; Committee of Military Affairs; Connie Mack; Cornelius McGillicuddy; Douglas MacArthur; Eleanor Roosevelt; General MacArthur; George Malone; Irving Berlin; Jim Farley; John Garner; New Guinea; Senators; Singing; Washington (D.C.); Washington, D.C.

Subjects: Baseball.; Celebrities.; Generals.; Pictures.

Partial Transcript: Now, uh, what were your associations with, uh, General Eisenhower, if any?

Segment Synopsis: Roland inquires about Chandler's relationship with Eisenhower as a result of a lack of photos with him. Chandler recounts a pleasant relationship.

Keywords: Algeria; Algiers; Dwight D. Eisenhower; Generals; Great friends; Letters; Memorandums; Northern Africa; Photo archives; Photos; University of Kentucky; WW2; WWII; World War 2; World War II

Subjects: Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969; Pictures.; Presidents.; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: These are the--I gave eight cups away to Derby winners, you know, in my time. And I haven't got them all, but I've got some of them here.

Segment Synopsis: Chandler shows off photos of his involvement in the horse industry, having lived much of his life in Kentucky.

Keywords: 1943; Australia; Collections; Colonel Williams; Derby cups; Derby winners; Horse racing; Horses; Kentucky Derby; Man o' War; Mementos; Resumes; Time Magazine; University of Kentucky

Subjects: Horses.; Kentucky Derby.; Man o' War (Race horse)