James "Honest Dick" Tate

Who is James "Honest Dick" Tate?

James William "Honest Dick" Tate was the Kentucky State Treasurer. He was nicknamed "Honest Dick" because of his good reputation and rapport with his colleagues. The nickname turned ironic, however, when Tate absconded with nearly a quarter of a million dollars from the state's treasury in 1888. He was never found.

Tate's thievery was frequently cited during Kentucky's fourth constitutional convention as a reason to impose term limits on Kentucky's elected officials. The one-term limit remained in force on most of Kentucky's officials until the state's constitution was amended in 1992 to allow the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Treasurer and other state officeholders to serve two consecutive terms.