Chandler, Happy (1898-1991), served as Democratic governor of Kentucky and as a United States senator. He was also commissioner of organized baseball from 1945 to 1951. Chandler’s real name was Albert Benjamin Chandler. His colorful, outgoing personality earned him the nickname “Happy.”
Chandler was elected a member of the Kentucky state Senate in 1929. He became governor in 1935, but he resigned before the end of his term in 1939 to accept a temporary appointment to the U.S. Senate. An election confirmed his appointment in 1940, and he was reelected in 1942. As a senator, Chandler worked for the passage of the United Nations Charter. He served as governor of Kentucky again from 1955 to 1959.
Chandler was born on July 14, 1898, in Corydon, Kentucky. He graduated from the University of Kentucky Law School in 1924. Chandler was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. He died on June 15, 1991.
