Eugenia Crittenden Blackburn Luallen, 1974 Frankfort, Kentucky
Much of the story of Centre College is a story of service to Kentucky. For 175 years, this college has educated young people who have gone on to provide leadership in all aspects of the life of this Commonwealth. It is appropriate that we honor Crit Blackburn Luallen, a woman whose life and work embody that tradition. Crit is a seventh-generation Kentuckian whose very name – Eugenia Crittenden Blackburn Luallen – reflects her link to Kentucky history. Two of her ancestors, John J. Crittenden and Luke Blackburn, were governors of Kentucky.
This connection to Kentucky’s past has fueled her work for Kentucky’s future. Right after graduating from Centre in 1974, Crit put her art major to good use – stuffing envelopes for Wendell Ford’s 1974 U.S. Senate race. The creative way in which she stuffed those envelopes quickly drew the attention of the campaign’s leadership, and she was given greater responsibility, especially in the area of campaign communications. The talents that she had honed at Centre, she told one interviewer, “were a premium in a campaign.”
Her work for the Ford campaign set Crit on the road to a career of public service. She has worked in several Kentucky political campaigns, serving most prominently as the media coordinator for Martha Layne Collins’ race for governor. She worked for Governor Collins as a special assistant and as Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of the Arts. In the latter position she helped to create the Governor’s School for the Arts and greatly enhanced the promotion of Kentucky arts and crafts to a national market.
From 1988 to 1992, Crit served as senior vice president, then president, of the Greater Louisville Economic Development Partnership, a joint public-private organization whose mission is to attract new investment and job opportunities to the Louisville Metro area. From 1992 to 1994, Crit held the job of Secretary of the Kentucky Tourism Cabinet, with more than 2,000 employees and an annual operating budget of more than $120 million. She served during 1994-95 as the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet. From 1996 to 2002, Crit was the Secretary of the Executive Cabinet—in essence, the person who ran the state on a day-to-day basis. Crit was elected Auditor of Public Accounts in 2003 and re-elected in a landslide in 2007. In addition to her governmental service, Crit serves on the boards of the Kentucky Historical Society, the Louisville Downtown Development Corporation, and Centre College.
Praise of Crit has been consistent throughout her career. “Crit is always willing to do what it takes to get the job done,” said Governor Collins. A long-time friend and colleague said, “She set extremely high standards for herself and always exceeds them.” Others have cited her special combination of talents. Former Jefferson County Judge-Executive David Armstrong said, “She knows the arts and education. She is cognizant of political realities, and she knows people.” George Gill of the Louisville Courier-Journal said that Crit “can hit her stride with anyone.”
Crit has also been mindful of her role as a pioneer, working in areas once reserved for men. She told a Centre audience several years ago that when she came to the College, “the senior women were talking about marriage and traditional roles. By the time I left, they were all talking about careers.”
She has noted the importance of key individuals who helped her along, a role that she is now playing for other young women. But she also points out the importance of seizing an opportunity. She says, “I have always been fortunate. When a door opens, I walk through it. I give it my best, and the future takes care of itself.”
Crit Blackurn Luallen, through her creativity and energy, has helped make a better future for the people of Kentucky and has brought honor to her College.