FRANKFORT, Ky. –As the doors of Kentucky’s Old State Capitol Building open, the voice of Everett McCorvey fills the cold air as he sings “My Old Kentucky Home.”

A crowd of attendees sit inside the building, listening to McCorvey as he stands behind a podium embellished with the state’s seal.

At the end of the song, Kentucky State Troopers carry a casket draped in the commonwealth’s flag down a set of worn stairs to a white hearse, parked to the side of a busy street.

After the troopers set the casket down, people walk out of the building and get into their cars, joining the procession for Martha Layne Collins, Kentucky’s first and only female governor.

Collins, governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1983 to 1987, passed away Nov. 1 at 88, leaving behind a legacy of change and impact.

Her career has been defined by her work on educational reform, the establishment of the Governor’s School for the Arts and the economic advancement Kentucky saw under her term, according to her obituary.

John McCauley, who attended Collins’ lying in state ceremony on Nov. 9, said serving on her literacy committee was one of his most treasured moments.

Collins had taken initiative on educational reform while in office, according to McCauley, who had the opportunity to see Collins work in real time.

“I love the literacy commission and what she did to promote getting books in the hands of new readers,” McCauley said. “Adult education and literacy efforts under her administration were tremendous.”

Working her way up from lieutenant governor to governor, McCauley said Collins did not get to where she was or achieve what she did by sitting around.

Despite her “driven” nature, McCauley said Collins remained considerate of all perspectives and governed with all Kentuckians in mind.

“She didn’t represent the party that nominated her, but she represented all the people,” McCauley said. “She truly served for the right reasons.”

Collins was known for fostering a sense of unity, according to Tony Hyatt, who served as her deputy press secretary during her last year in office in 1987.

“Today, you see republicans and democrats, all, you know, banging heads,” Hyatt said. “In the ‘80s, it was a completely different climate, but still, she managed to bring people together and talk to them and find out what was going on.”

Collins never forgot her roots in the small town of Bagdad, Kentucky, according to Hyatt, who said her experience working in the Jefferson County Public Schools system only made her knowledgeable when addressing educational issues.

“She knew what the challenges of education were,” Hyatt said. “She knew what the challenges were for women in politics … but she never, she never forgot who she was.”

According to Hyatt, being the first female governor of Kentucky signified great progress that still lives on today, pointing out that two women recently won their states’ gubernatorial elections for the first time.

It was not just the title, but the change that Collins instilled in Kentucky that helped pave the way for women in politics, according to Hyatt.

“She handled things for this state in such a way that she proved that she could be a woman and be governor and lead a state,” Hyatt said.

For Abigail Stanger, an employee with the Kentucky Historical Society, Collins continues to serve as a source of motivation for women.

A personal inspiration of hers, Stanger said she admired how Collins paved the way for Kentucky’s state curriculum and academic programs.

Bringing a Toyota manufacturing plant, according to Stanger, was another one of Collins’ achievements that left a lasting impact on the commonwealth.

“Now you see Toyotas all over the street,” Stanger said. “She brought so many jobs to Kentucky that are still here today.”

At Collins’ lying in state, Stanger felt a sense of sadness, saying she knew she now would not get to meet the woman who inspired so many.

“She just was such a pioneer,” Stanger said. “I don’t even think she realized how much that work would mean today.”