James "Honest Dick" Tate
American politician and criminal (born 1831) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about James "Honest Dick" Tate?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
James William "Honest Dick" Tate (January 2, 1831[1] – unknown (after 1890{?]) was the Kentucky State Treasurer. He was nicknamed "Honest Dick" because of his good reputation and rapport with his colleagues. The nickname turned ironic, however, when Tate absconded with nearly a quarter of a million dollars from the state's treasury in 1888. He was never found.
James W. "Honest Dick" Tate | |
---|---|
Kentucky State Treasurer | |
In office 1867–1888 | |
Preceded by | Mason Brown |
Succeeded by | Stephen G. Sharpe |
Kentucky Assistant Secretary of State | |
In office 1854–1855 | |
Kentucky Assistant Secretary of State | |
In office 1859–1863 | |
Assistant Clerk of the Kentucky House of Representatives | |
In office 1865–1867 | |
Personal details | |
Born | (1831-01-02)January 2, 1831 Franklin County, Kentucky |
Died | Unknown after 1890 Unknown (China[?] |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Lucy J. Hawkins-Tate |
Profession | Post office clerk |
Tate's thievery was frequently cited during Kentucky's fourth constitutional convention as a reason to impose term limits on Kentucky's elected officials. The one-term limit remained in force on most of Kentucky's officials until the state's constitution was amended in 1992 to allow the governor, lieutenant governor, state treasurer and other state officeholders to serve two consecutive terms.