Remembering Former Governor Martha Layne Collins
December 7, 1936 – November 1, 2025
Martha Layne Collins was a Kentucky businesswoman and politician. Collins served as the state’s 56th governor from 1983 to 1987, and was the first and only woman to date to hold the office.
Governor Collins appeared on several KET programs over the years, including the ones below.
Governor Martha Layne Collins: A Capitol Farewell
Taped on location at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort, this Comment on Kentucky special features a discussion about Kentucky’s future with former governors Paul Patton, Brereton Jones, Martha Layne Collins, John Y. Brown Jr., and Julian Carroll. A 2005 KET production hosted by Al Smith.
Recollections: Governors’ Roundtable
Eight former Kentucky governors—Edward T. (Ned) Breathitt, Louie B. Nunn, Wendell H. Ford, Julian M. Carroll, John Y. Brown Jr., Martha Layne Collins, Wallace Wilkinson, and Brereton C. Jones—share perspectives on their years in office, including some of the lighter moments. Veteran broadcast journalist Ferrell Wellman hosts. A 2000 KET production.
Kentucky in the 21st Century: A Roundtable Discussion with Kentucky Governors
Taped on location at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort, this Comment on Kentucky special features a discussion about Kentucky’s future with former governors Paul Patton, Brereton Jones, Martha Layne Collins, John Y. Brown Jr., and Julian Carroll. A 2005 KET production hosted by Al Smith.
