Foster "Tubby" Calhoun was born in Hindman, Ky, on March 17, 1926, to Buddy and Herma Pratt Calhoun.  Tubby grew up in Hindman and attended Hindman Grade School and Hindman High School.  He would graduate from Hindman High School in 1943, but not before he had made a name for himself and his basketball talents, most notably as a guard on the 1943 Hindman state champion basketball team.        

After high school, he continued his education at Moorhead State University where he was once again a guard on the college team.  However, his education at Morehead (1943-1944) was interrupted by World war II.  From 1944-1946, Tubby served his country as a member of the United States Navy.  At the end of the war, he returned to Morehead and completed his college education.      

For the next 20 years, Tubby pursued a career as a teacher and basketball coach.  In 1950, he took a position as had coach and  teacher at Viper High School in Perry County.  In 1952, he moved  on to Breathitt County to serve once more as teacher and head basketball coach. Finally in 1954, he was able to return to the place he loved most, Hindman.  For the next 16 years, he would distinguish himself at Hindman, this time as assistant basketball coach and teacher.

It was at this time tubby decided to settle down and assume the role of a family man.  In pursuit of this goal, he married Juanita Hollan on November 7, 1953, and to this union was born two children: John C. and Melodie.

During his years at Hindman, Tubby's vocational career took another turn as he became an agent for The Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company.   He started with this company in 1961 and would stay with them until his death in 1988.

Working in the school system and as an insurance agent proved the ideal environment for a political career.  In 1977, tubby threw his hat in the political ring when he decided to run for county judge.  the people he loved most would not let him down and he was elected and took office in 1978.

While Knott County Judge, he worked closely with Congressman Carl D. Perkins and the Knott County Fiscal Court to renovate the Knott County Courthouse.  Once this project was underway, he turned his attention to the building of the Knott County Human Service Center and a new Knott County Jail.

 
Submitted by Corbett Mullins
April 2003