Irland  "Pivot" Conley has been one of the most respected and loved business, civic and church leaders in Knott County's history.  Pivot was born Sept 17, 1916, at Rockfork in Knott County, the  son of Kendell Conley and Virgie Chaffins Conley.  He married Olive Slone, the daughter of I.B. Slone and Dallie Dyer Slone on Feb 1, 1941.  I.B. was the son of L. Caney Slone, on of the other 1994 Knott Hall of Fame inductees.                     

Irland and Olive had two children, Gary I. Conley and Mary Lynne Walters.  Gary is a lawyer and presently is vice president and general counsel of Kentucky River Coal corporation.  Gary and his wife, June Smith Conley, have two children, Eric Niles and Erin Elizabeth.  Mary Lynne has a masters degree in English from Morehead State University.  She has one son, Drury ChristianWalters.

After graduating from Garrett High School. Irland attended Caney College (Now Alice Lloyd college) for two years.  From there he attended Morehead State University and Western Kentucky University.  Afterwards, he taught school for four years in Knott County.  During this time he married Olive.  He moved to Newport News, Va., and worked in the ship yards there until he joined the army on Nov. 17, 1942, during World War II.  He was attached to the Army Air force, went to aircraft mechanics school in Lincoln, Nebraska and later to Boeing Aircraft Factor School in Seattle, Washington.  After this, the 452nd Bomb Group was formed as part of the 8th Air force and sent to England as part of the "Flying Fortress."  He was transported overseas on the Queen Elizabeth and was stationed at Attlebourgh, England.  He was a Staff Sergeant and served as a crew chief on B-17 bombers.  After serving two years in England, he traveled via the Queen Mary back to the United States, where he received an honorabledischarge at Fort Meade, Maryland.  Returning home, he and his brother-in-law, Kenneth Slone, started Hindman Dry Cleaners.  From this they expanded to the clothing and dry goods business, operating under the name of "Conley and Slone Clothing Store."  Hindman Dry Cleaners was sold and they expanded to groceries, operating a Kentucky Food Store.  Irland and Kenneth, along with Max Cody, Charlie Young and Judge Robert Morgan, later established the firs radio station in Knott County, WKCB.  Irland retiree Dec.. 31, 1978.

Irland and his wife have been active in the First Baptist Church of Hindman since his baptism on Nov 11, 1952.  He has been a deacon in the church for over three decades.  He taught Sunday School and was the Sunday School Superintendent.  He served on the Hindman City Council, the county draft board and the county housing commission, helping get the first housing project.  He belonged to the Masons and was a charter member of the Hindman Lions Club.

The Knott County community knows Irland "Pivot" Conley as a kind and patient man who showed compassion to his neighbors and business customers, and through his hard work and personality, he made Knott County a better place to live.                                                             

Corbett Mullins
May 2003