Herrin, Kent, 1919-1994

Dates

• Existence: 1919 - 1994

Biography

Kent Herrin was born in Chattanooga, Tenn., on May 4, 1919 the son of Eugene Herrin and Mildred Erickson Herrin. The family moved to Johnson City when he was six weeks old, and this remained his home for the rest of his life. He graduated from Science Hill High School in 1937 and attended East Tennessee State College, where he studied history and was in the army cavalry reserve as part of the ROTC program. Following his graduation from college in 1941, he entered the U. S. Army as a 2nd lieutenant. When the cavalry formations were discontinued, Herrin joined the Signal Corps. During World War II, he participated in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. Scott Herrin, Herrin’s brother, was a U. S. Army Air Corps pilot during the war. His plane was shot down over the Alps, and he was killed. Kent Herrin left the army in 1945 and returned to Johnson City.

Herrin married Nancy Fewell, an airline hostess originally from Rock Hill, S. C., on August 31, 1946. They had three children: Eugenia Fewell Herrin, Kent Erickson Herrin, and Benjamin Scott Herrin. Graduating from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1949, he opened a law office in Johnson City, where he had a long and successful career. Kent Herrin died on November 10, 1994.

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