First Original and Official 
Kentucky Colonels Club 

For the Past 85 Years the Government of Kentucky, some of its Governors, but mostly Colonels were fooled as to the origin of the Kentucky Colonel starting in 1813 and the who, what, and why a Kentucky Colonel or even came to be by the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels which created a mythical origin in 1940 with the Kentucky Writers Project! Finally we have busted the "Mystic Kabbalah of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels" origin story, but we still do not know who exactly originates this account. 

What Has Really Happened with the "Kentucky Colonels" Name?

The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Inc. (HOKC), a private association formed in 1933 and incorporated in 1957, became engaged in 2002 to start a broad campaign to monopolize the name “Kentucky Colonels” by:

• Trademarking the term “Kentucky Colonels” as if it were an exclusive brand they created;

• Suing or threatening individuals and organizations—including charitable, cultural, and heritage groups—who use the name in legitimate public-facing or historical contexts and in conjunction with noncommercial economic activities;

• Promoting a false historical origin myth, claiming the title was first used beginning in 1813 with Charles Todd and Isaac Shelby when there is no evidence to support that claim;

• Branding their organization around a misappropriated date (1813) in logos and marketing to create the illusion of historical succession although mythical.

What They Are Doing Wrong — Legally

1. False Trademark Claims HOKC has filed trademark applications asserting exclusive rights to “Kentucky Colonels,” a term long embedded in American public culture, literature, government appointments, and media.

   • Trademark law does not allow ownership of public honors or titles that are generic or descriptive, such as “Kentucky Colonel”—a gubernatorial recognition awarded to over 300,000 people.

   • HOKC has fraudulently asserted first use dates as early as 1931 (before the organization existed), while its own incorporation documents show 1957 as the actual date of formation.

   • These claims are contradicted by HOKC’s earlier trademark filings (1981), public records, and a 2004 federal court decision that recognized “Kentucky Colonels” as a non-exclusive honorific title.

2. Misuse of Trademark Law to Silence Others By using federal trademark litigation as a weapon, HOKC seeks to control who may identify as a Kentucky Colonel, even though that power belongs to the Governor of Kentucky—not a private nonprofit. This is viewpoint suppression and false designation of origin under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a) and grounds for cancellation under 15 U.S.C. § 1119.

What They Are Doing Wrong — Morally and Ethically

1. Promoting a Fabricated Origin Story - HOKC claims the title “Kentucky Colonel” began in 1813 with Governor Isaac Shelby commissioning Charles S. Todd. This has been proven false by historians, state records, and even by the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office, which removed the 1813 claim in 2021 due to lack of evidence.

2. Deceiving the Public - HOKC’s logo and branding falsely display the date “1813” as if the organization or its lineage began then. In reality, HOKC was created in 1933 as a Depression-era social club. By putting “1813” in its logo and asserting historical continuity, HOKC intentionally confuses the public and misrepresents itself as the rightful heir to a tradition it did not create.

3. Erasing True Kentucky Colonel Heritage - The real Kentucky Colonel is:

   • A civil honorific title, not a private membership.

   • A recognition of public service custom, not a brand.

   • A distinguished social class of people.

   • Rooted in Revolutionary and early frontier leadership—Colonels of 1775–1799 like Boone, Logan, and Bowman

4. HOKC has replaced this history with a fictional, romanticized version of Derby Society, distorting the cultural record for private fundraising advantage.

Why This Matters to the Public

• Freedom of Speech and Identity: No private organization should be allowed to dictate how individuals refer to themselves—especially when those individuals have been officially honored by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

• Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Public titles like “Kentucky Colonel” belong to the people—not to one entity.

• Government Accountability: The Commonwealth’s traditions should not be rewritten by private interests for marketing purposes. Historical truth matters.

The Bottom Line

HOKC’s actions are legally flawed, historically dishonest, and morally indefensible. They are abusing trademark law to claim ownership over a public title, while using a false origin myth (1813) to falsely bolster their authority.

This is not about protecting the public. It is about protecting a private monopoly on goodwill, fundraising, and branding, at the expense of every person who has ever earned the title “Kentucky Colonel.”

Call to Action

It is time for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the public, and the federal courts to:

• Reject false historical narratives;

• Cancel improper trademark claims;

• Defend the public domain status of “Kentucky Colonel”;

• And restore the cultural and civic honor of this title to all who bear it.

Let the record show: the Kentucky Colonel belongs to Kentucky—its history, its people, and its future—not to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Society created in 1933.