2022 Hall of Fame Inductee Bill Cunningham Class of 1969

Justice Bill Cunningham was elected to the Supreme Court of Kentucky in November 2006 to serve the 1st Supreme Court District. He retired in February 2019. Before becoming a member of the state's highest court, Justice Cunningham served on the Circuit Court Bench in the 56th Judicial Circuit, which consists of Caldwell, Livingston, Lyon and Trigg counties. He was elected in November 1991, re-elected in 1999, and served until January 2007.

Justice Cunningham served the court system in several capacities before entering his judicial career. He was the Eddyville City Attorney from 1974 to 1991 and the Public Defender for the Kentucky State Penitentiary from 1974 to 1976, and as Commonwealth's Attorney for the 56th Judicial District from 1976 to 1988. During his tenure in that position, he was voted the Outstanding Commonwealth Attorney of Kentucky by his peers. He also served as a hearing officer for the Kentucky Board of Claims from 1981 to 1985 and as a trial commissioner for Lyon County District Court from 1989 to 1992.

He is a 1966 graduate of Murray State University (MSU), where he served as student body president. He is a Distinguished Alumni of MSU, and has served as adjunct professor since his retirement. He went on to become a University Of Kentucky College Of Law graduate of the class of 1969. While in law school, he was a member of the Kentucky Law Journal staff and editor of the law school newspaper, "The Kentucky Commentator."

He has authored numerous books on regional history, as well as written for various newspapers and magazines. His "On Bended Knees: The Night Rider Story" is considered the definitive work on the tobacco wars of western Kentucky and western Tennessee (1904-09).

He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served as a Captain in Vietnam, Korea and Germany.

He and his wife, Paula, have five sons and 16 grandchildren.