Pace, Pearl Carter, 1896-1970

Pearl Eagle (Carter) Pace was born in Tompkinsville, Monroe County, Kentucky on January 25, 1896. From 1917 to 1918 she was a public school teacher in the Cumberland County community of Marrowbone. Pace married Stanley Dan Pace on December 24, 1917, and they resided in Burkesville, Kentucky most of their married life. They had three children.

Pace began her business career as a bookkeeper in 1924. In 1938, Pace achieved an outstanding goal: being the first woman in Kentucky to be elected to a four-year term as sheriff. Serving as Cumberland County sheriff from 1938 to 1941, she replaced her husband who could not legally succeed himself. After her husband was killed in a traffic accident in 1940, she became active in the Republican Party. Pace served as secretary of the Cumberland County Republican Committee and then as chairman and vice-chairman of the Ninth Congressional District for four years. Additionally, she was a nine year member of the Republican State Central Committee, and Republican National Committeewoman for Kentucky from 1948 to 1957.

Pace was an active campaigner in the 1952 election of Dwight D. Eisenhower. In December 1953, Eisenhower appointed Pace to the War Claims Commission, which became the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission in July 1954. She attained chairmanship of the Commission in December 1959, thereby becoming the second-ranking woman in the Eisenhower Administration. Pace resigned in the spring of 1961, following John F. Kennedy’s election in November 1960.

Pace died on January 14, 1970.