Although he was never elected to an office or stood in the forefront as a county leader, he was an integral part behind the scenes in public service in Clinton County for about a half-century.

On Thursday, December 31, Clinton County Treasurer Dallas Sidwell will step aside from that current position and retire after putting in some 52 total years in education and public service work with the Clinton County School System and Clinton County government.

Sidwell served in different jobs over his long working career, with the majority being spent in finance office positions in the school system and with the Clinton County Fiscal Court.

Sidwell recently reviewed his history, noting he was a native of Clinton County, having been born at home in the Cartwright Community when the late Dr. Ernest A. (E.A.) Barnes was still making house calls.

Sidwell, after taking a test after the seventh grade and passing, was able to skip eighth grade and go into high school and he graduated in 1951. Soon after, he obtained his teaching certificates and began teaching at graded county schools.

He taught all subjects in those grades at Davis and Pleasant Ridge schools, the latter teaching grades five through eight.

Sidwell attended his first year of college at Eastern Kentucky University, his second at Campbellsville before going back to EKU to finish college prior to obtaining his teaching certificate. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and holds a certificate in school fiance.

In 1957, Superintendent of the Albany Graded Schools asked him to become the district’s finance officer, the same year that Albany and Clinton County graded schools merged to become the Clinton County School District.

Once the merger was complete, Sidwell remained as finance officer for the school district for 30 years, or a total of 34 years with the school system. Robert Polston was the first schools superintendent he worked under and James Earl Carver was superintendent when he left that position in the late 1980s.

Following his tenure in the superintendent’s office as finance officer, Sidwell worked for the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet when property values were reassessed. He worked out of the Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) Billy Joe Coop’s office through that reassessment process period and after that program ended, he stayed on in that office for two more years.

It was after leaving the PVA’s office that he became County Treasurer for the first time, replacing Anita Hay in that position. He served as County Treasurer until leaving in 1998 but came back a second time under the Donnie McWhorter administration in 2003 and has served there up until his announced retirement at the end of this year.

Sidwell has served as County Treasurer under at least four different administrations, including Charlene King, McWhorter, Lyle Huff and for one year with current judge Richard Armstrong.

Sidwell noted there was a lot of difference between teaching and finance, noting that there were problems later on politically in his tenure with the school system, especially the last 10 or so years he was there.

Sidwell said he had no particular plans for retirement, but is only looking forward to enjoying the time off. He also said he has no plans for any future jobs.

He said what he would miss the most about serving in his current job is the people he works with, noting he had always worked well with magistrates and judges.

Sidwell and his wife of 63 years, Laura Alice, have three children, Jimmy Dallas, Laura Lisa and Gina Alice and they also have six grandchildren.

Tuesday Davis, outgoing finance officer, will replace Sidwell as County Treasurer effective January 1, 2016.