From Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeigh Kentucky’s Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is celebrating its 25th anniversary.The Prichard Committee began life as a government-appointed panel on higher education. But when government leaders failed to act on their recommendations, the committee decided in 1983 to reorganize as an advocacy group for all levels of education in Kentucky. The group is named for the late Ed Prichard, who died in 1984."He was a very prominent and well-known Kentucky attorney who had become a voice for improved education and particularly for higher education," says Bob Sexton, the committee's director. "He was an advisor to governors."Sexton says the group plans a series of activities this year to celebrate its 25th anniversary. One is creation of the Al Smith Fund for Education, named for the newspaperman and long-time host of KET’s "Comment on Kentucky," who retired last year.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.