About Us

A Brief History

“We have conquered the atom, but we have not yet made a major assault on the human mind.”

John F. Kennedy uttered these words in October of 1963 as he signed landmark legislation that would change the lives of people with disabilities forever. One bill was designed to combat birth defects by providing better prenatal and infant care. A second bill was designed to establish community health centers. Six months later, the people of Mayfield and Graves County were operating a Daycare/Nursery School for children with mental retardation. This was only the second such facility licensed in the state of Kentucky.

In 1966, the effort to provide greater opportunities for the mentally and physically challenged in this area received a huge helping hand from the Kevil Will Committee. Mr. J. U. Kevil, a local businessman passed away in 1941 leaving two trusts designed to support his wife until her death. At that time, a committee of local church and business leaders would oversee the distribution of any remaining funds in areas of education, charity, or religious purposes. Twenty-five years later when Mrs. Kevil died, the trusts had grown to more than three quarters of a million dollars.

The J. U. Kevil Memorial Foundation was given $300,000 to begin construction on a community mental health center. Construction began in 1967 on the facility which would expand educational opportunities. In December of 1968, the first classes for those deemed educable MR met in the new facility.

By the end of the 1960’s, school systems were assuming most of the responsibility for educating people with disabilities. The Kevil Center began to focus on another great void in the lives of the people being served - What happens after the school years?

Realizing a need for job training and life skills training, our focus shifted to the adult population and helping people with disabilities increase their opportunities to function independently within the community.

A second phase of construction, which added the sheltered workshop, was completed in November of 1972. A third phase of construction completed in 1992 added a warehouse and an additional work area. A second warehouse was purchased in 2004.

 

Today our prgramming ideas continue to expand as we offer new opportunities for the citizens of Western Kentucky. We offer a wide variety of activities and classes designed to maximize the potential of each participant, opportunities for work through valued partnerships with local business and industry, as well as assistance to those seeking independent employment within the community. Please explore our site for more information about the possibilities that exist at J U Kevil.