Richard Garrett has always been involved in multiple groups and public service opportunities, from band boosters and Little League to the Winchester Lions Club and countless other committees through the years.

The Clark County native was raising his family in Winchester, working at the Blue Grass Army Depot when he began serving on several committees connected to the school district through Supt. Don Pace.

When a newly-elected board member was unable to serve his term beginning in 1995, Garrett was approached about filling the position.

After being interviewed and approved by state education officials, he became the first African-American to serve on the Clark County Board of Education.

Between the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act, Shearer Elementary burning down and the rise of school shootings, it was a tumultuous time to be in education.

At the same time, Garrett was serving on the board of Clark County Hospital as it went through its own changes.

 

Winchester Sun: How long have you lived in Clark County:

Richard Garrett: I was raised here in Clark County up through the ninth grade in high school.

Because of some family problems like my mother passing, I went to live in Lexington with one of my uncles. I went through my junior year and things weren’t working out well there so I went to join the service.

 

WS: When did you go into the military?

RG: I hadn’t planned on joining the Marine Corps but it so happened they made their quota that day and the recruiting sergeant was saying, ‘Come on down, come on down.’

The year was 1952. That’s when the Korean War was hot and heavy. I served three years active duty. I was ready to go to Korea in 1953 when they signed the armistice.

They had sent me to Quantico for school. When I graduated from Quantico, I came back (to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina). That’s probably the only thing that kept my feet out of Korea.

They turned me around and brought me back.(Garrett then spent two tours in the Mediterranean.)

 

WS: What brought you back to Kentucky?

RG: When I got out of the Marine Corps in 1955 … I came back to this area and wound up living in Winchester again because I married a young lady who was from here. Any time you marry a Clark County girl, you don’t get them out of Clark County too easily.

In 1956, I went to work for the Lexington Blue Grass Army Depot. I was an electronic technician. I retired from the civil service, then I went to work for one of our contractors, Raytheon, for about 10 years.

 

WS: What led to your involvement in the community and your service on the school board?

RG: When I first came back to Winchester, I began to get involved in community things.

I had a young son and it really started out with him when he got into Little League. I got into Little League. He played baseball, the other boy played soccer.

I started getting involved with the community.

We had three children along the way.

I would end up serving on different committees.

Don Pace was our superintendent.

It seemed like every time I turned around, they were asking me to be part of some committee.

Don believed in having committees from the community involved in the decision process. Finally, one of the board members, who had just been elected, for some reason he wasn’t going to be able to serve. Don came to me and asked if I would have an interest in serving. I didn’t really know that much about it and what it entailed, other than serving with the various committees.

I wasn’t really sure I wanted to take it on because I already had a full plate, but I agreed. I served two four-year terms on the board of education.

 

WS: What were some of the accomplishments and issues from your time on the school board?

RG: One of the things I remember that was significant was the old Shearer school burned. I was on the board at that time. The way that school was built was in pods and there were always water problems with it.

During my time, there were issues with school safety. One of the things we came up with was children started carrying their books in backpacks. We wanted them to be clear so when ever an administrator or anyone wanted to, they could look and see what things they were carrying in their backpacks.

Another issue we dealt with was our bus drivers went on a strike, right in the school year. The big issue there was pay. They had a legitimate concern, but the problem we were having was Fayette County was paying more.

We had some folks who went to Fayette County, but in the meantime, we had some good people who were sticking with us. We wanted to figure out some kind of way to take care of them.

We were able to scrape up a little money to give them a little raise without raising taxes.

We built the new bus garage while I was on the board.

We restructured the central office staff as well.

 

WS: When you joined the school board, did you know you were the first African-American member? Was it something you were conscious of as you served?

RG: “As far as being the first … that never entered my mind. Some people will say if he is the first Africa-American, then he’s going to lean toward the African-American community. That wasn’t me.

I was there for the children, regardless to their race or background.

Whenever I came out of a school board meeting, … I’d ask myself, ‘Now what did I do for the children?’ 

It never dawned on me that I was not Caucasian when I was on that board. It never dawned on me to offer any special favors for any special groups.

 

WS: At this time, you were on the board of the Clark County Hospital as well. What changes were happening at the hospital?

RG: While I was on the board, it was the Clark County Hospital. One of the fellows we hired as CEO wanted to get away from that ‘county’ part of the name and that’s when it became Clark Regional Medical Center. It made a difference.

When I went on the board, it was when the hospital was located (on West Lexington Avenue). We were involved in putting the third floor onto that hospital.

As we went moved on and different services came along, we had to make room.

One of the big things, when I was on the board, was outpatient services. It used to be when you went to the hospital, you were there for a few days. Then they began to change and convert to outpatient services. There were things we had to do there to make everything work.

I have had quadruple bypass surgery. One of the programs we had in place out there was cardiac rehab. Even though I had my surgery in Lexington, when I came back, I had my rehab here in Winchester.

We built the Powell County clinic.

Some of the things they are doing right now, we wanted to do. We just never got it done.”