Fannie Louise Maddux, a stalwart advocate for public education in Kentucky, was recently named the Fannie B. Postell Woman of the Year, an award given by the Hopkinsville-Christian County Human Rights Commission. The announcement was made during a Women’s History Month program Thursday evening at Milkweed Health & Harmony Emporium, and Maddux’s son, Christian County farmer John Maddux, was present to receive the award on her behalf.
Voters in 1976 chose Fannie Louise Maddux and Gay Nell Rittenberry to serve on the Christian County Board of Education, making them the first women elected to the board. Three years earlier, Maddux had become the first woman to serve on Hopkinsville City Council following her appointment to fill a vacancy on the council.
In another first for women in the county, Maddux became the school board chair in January of 1980.
Maddux said the chairmanship would be a “heavy responsibility and challenge,” according to a Kentucky New Era report from the meeting. “I have a lot to learn,” she said. “The chairman is in a position to learn. I look forward to the challenge.”
It was a critical time for the school system. The board was preparing to hire a new superintendent to replace W.D. Kelley, who had announced he would be retiring in June.
Immediately after her selection as board chair, Maddux established a procedure to ensure that all of the school board members were equally involved in reviewing candidates for superintendent. The board, on her recommendation, agreed to a stipulation that no members would conduct individual interviews with candidates, the New Era reported.
Maddux also served on the nonprofit Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, which was established in 1983 to advocate for best education practices in Kentucky. She was among the committee’s early members.
A Christian County native, Maddux is a retired social worker and resides on her family farm.
The award is named for Fannie B. Postell (1863-1953), who became superintendent of the city’s segregated schools for Black students in 1907 and later served as principal of Attucks High School. She was a 1890 graduate of Berea College.
Also at Thursday’s program, the Human Rights Commission awarded three scholarship with funds donated by community members. The recipients were:
- First place ($500) — Rebecca Wood, senior at Hopkinsville High School
- Second place ($300) — Bella Fowler, senior at Christian County High School
- Third place ($200) — MaKyrah Sharber, senior at Christian County High School
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
