History

​​​​​The office of the Auditor of Public Accounts was established by the Kentucky Legislature on June 22, 1792 but did not become an elected office until the adoption of Kentucky's third constitution on June 11, 1850.

Through its early years, the auditor's office served as the official bookkeeper for the commonwealth, the chief agency for the collection of taxes, and the comptroller and general administrative officer.

The Reorganization Act of 1936 established the Auditor of Public Accounts as an impartial agency entirely independent of state administration and charged with the responsibility of auditing the accounts and financial transactions of all Commonwealth spending agencies. This remains the primary function of our office today.

In recent years, our role has expanded into areas such as conducting technology audits, special investigations, and performance reviews. As we move into the future, we expect our role to continue to expand and evolve.​

Past and Current Auditors


Name

Date

   

   

​48.

​Allison Ball

​2024 - Present​​

​​[Portrait]

​[Biography​]

47.

​Mike Harmon

2016 - 2024

[Portrait]

[Biography]

46.

Adam H. Edelen

2012 - 2016

[Portrait]

[Biography]

45.

Crit Luallen

2004 - 2008
2008 - 2012 

[Portrait]

[Biography]

44.

Edward B. Hatchett, Jr.

1996 - 2000
2000 - 2004 

[Portrait]

[Biography]

43.

A. B. Chandler, III

1992 - 1996

[Portrait]

[Biography]

42.

Bob Babbage

1988 - 1992

[Portrait]

[Biography]

41.

Mary Ann Tobin

1984 - 1988

[Portrait]

[Biography]

40.

James B. Graham

1980 - 1984

[Portrait]

[Biography]

39.

George Atkins

1976 - 1980

[Portrait]​

[Biography]

38.

James Thompson

1969 - 1970

[Portrait]

[Biography]

37.

Clyde Conley

1968 - 1969

[Portrait]

[Biography]

36.

Henry H. Carter

1964 - 1968

[Portrait]

[Biography]

35.

Joseph W. Schneider

1960 - 1964

[Portrait]

[Biography]

34.

Mary Louise Foust

1956 - 1960
1970 - 1976

[Portrait]

[Biography]

33.

T. Herbert Tinsley

1952 - 1956

[Portrait]

[Biography]

32.

Harry Newman Jones

1948 - 1952

[Portrait]

[Biography]

31.

W. D. Bratcher

1947 - 1948

[Portrait]

30.

Charles I. Ross

1947

[Portrait]

[Biography]

29.

B. L. Sparks

1943 - 1947

28.

David A. Logan

1940 - 1943

[Portrait]

[Biography]

27.

E. E. Shannon

1936 - 1940

[Portrait]

[Biography]

26.

J. Dan Talbott

1932 - 1936

[Portrait]

[Biography]

25.

Clell Coleman

1928 - 1932

24.

William H. Shanks

1924 - 1928

[Portrait]

[Biography]

23.

John J. Craig

1920 - 1924

[Biography]

22.

T. M. Jones

1919 - 1920

[Biography]

21.

Robert L. Greene

1916 - 1919

[Portrait]

[Biography]

20.

H. M. Bosworth

1912 - 1916

[Portrait]

[Biography]

19.

Frank P. Jones

1908 - 1912

18.

S. W. Hager

1904 - 1908

[Portrait]

[Biography]

17.

Gus G. Coulter

1900 - 1904

[Biography]

16.

John S. Sweeney 

1900

15.

Sam H. Stone

1896 - 1900

[Portrait]

[Biography]

14.

L. C. Norman

1887 - 1896

13.

Fayette Hewitt

1879 - 1887

[Portrait]

[Biography]

12.

D. Howard Smith

1867 - 1879

[Portrait]

[Biography]

11.

A. T. Samuels

1863 - 1867

10.

Grant Green

1859 - 1863

[Portrait]

[Biography]

9.

James A. Barbour

1850 - 1851

[Portrait]

[Biography]

8.

John Baylor Temple

1848 - 1850

[Portrait]

[Biography]

7.

H. Q. Bradley

1846 - 1848

6.

Thomas S. Page

1834 - 1846
1851 - 1859 

[Biography]

5.

Ben Shelby

1820 - 1834

[Biography]

4.

Peter Clay

1820

3.

John Madison

1816 - 1820

2.

George Madison

1796 - 1816

[Portrait]

[Biography]

1.

William McDowell

1792 - 1796

[Biography]