Roy Mullins has represented Knott County well statewide as well as locally, serving as county clerk here (1950-1961) and working in the coal industry at the state level.  He worked for the state Reclamation Department and was director of the state Division of Surface Mining for two years.

Roy was born in Smithsboro on Nov. 2, 1924, the son the late Leander and Allie Gibson Mullins.  He grew up on Irishman Creek.  He had two sisters, the late Audrey Terry and Ruby Mullins, who still lives at  Amburgey.  He was a 1942 graduate of Carr Creek High School and earned a bachelor's degree form Union college in 1948.

Roy served in the armed forces for 20 months during World War II. For eight of these months he was  prisoner of war in German.

After teaching one year of school in Perry County and serving nine years as county court clerk.  Roy spent most of the 1960s as regional supervisor for the Kentucky Division of Reclamation, overseeing  surface mining operations in Eastern Kentucky.

In 1967, Roy joined Breathitt County Coal Corp. and was in charge of reclamation for Falcon Coal. During this time he also served on state and national committees.  He retired from Falcon as vice president, but later went to work for the state as Director,  Division of Surface Mining.

Roy's three children, Ricky, Lanine and Lana grew up in Knott County.  Ricky, who had a heart condition die at age 34; Lana still lives in Knott County with her husband, Charles Cornett, and Lanine and her and Michael Little lie in Lexington.  Roy has nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Roy Mullins now lives in Versailles, Ky., with his wife, Dixie, but says his heart is still with the people of Knott County,

 Corbett Mullins
May 5, 2003