Blythe, Henry L.
(born: 1942)In 2012, Henry L. Blythe received the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Mayfield Human Rights Commission. He had served as chair of the commission and was described as a tireless champion of civil rights in Mayfield, KY.
Blythe's recognition included 23 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, where he received the Humanitarian Service Medal for his performance during the Iranian hostage rescue attempt.
In 1984, after his retirement from the military, he was employed in the U.S. Postal Service. In 1991, he became the postmaster of Dexter, KY, one of the two African American postmasters in western Kentucky. He was also one of the 10 African American postmasters in the state of Kentucky. He was postmaster in Boaz, KY, when he retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 2007.
Also in 2007, Governor Ernie Fletcher appointed Blythe to a one-year term on the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. Three years later, he was nominated for the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
Henry Blythe was born in Graves County, KY.
For more see "Former Boaz Postmaster Named Outstanding Citizen," 2/27/2012, at West Kentucky Star.com.