Denzil Pennington
Floyd R. “Denzil” Pennington (1946-2013) was a Vietnam War veteran who served as mayor of Oneida from 1981 to 1994.
See Also: Mayors of Oneida
Preceded By: C.L. Strunk • Succeeded By: Jack E. Lay
Early Life
Denzil Pennington was born March 7, 1946 in the coal mining camp of Fork Mountain, located along the Morgan-Anderson County line near Devonia, Tenn. He was the son of Dewey Pennington (1922-1988) and Anna Hall (1920-1994). He was one of 12 children: five boys and seven girls.
Vietnam War
Pennington served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He earned the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the a Sharpshooter Badge.
Following the war, Pennington was a member of both American Legion Post #136 and VFW Post #5669 in Oneida.
Oneida Mayor
Pennington was elected to the Oneida Board of Aldermen in 1979, then in 1981 was elected mayor, replacing C.L. Strunk, who had been appointed to fill the unexpired term of Rodney West. He was subsequently re-elected in 1985, 1989 and 1993.
It was during Pennington’s tenure that the railroad overpass in South Oneida was completed, allowing Paint Rock Road to bypass the Tibbals flooring plant. He was best known as being able to win grants for infrastructure development, and used grants to remove substandard homes from low-lying flood plains and expand industrial properties.
Pennington was Oneida’s first full-time mayor. Prior to his tenure, the position was considered a part-time office with only token compensation. Additionally, it was during his tenure that the office changed from a two-year term to a four-year term.
Pennington was the subject of an investigation by a special prosecutor in 1992. No criminal charges resulted from the investigation, but Pennington and members of the board of aldermen were ordered to repay money to the town. That created a rift between the mayor and the board, which came to a head in 1994, with the central issue of contention being the hiring and firing of town employees. Specifically, Pennington terminated Bob Phillips from the position of purchasing agent and hired Jim Lovett — an alderman who resigned his position on the board to take the job — to the office. Aldermen objected to the move, and board member Jack Crabtree posed a question to the city’s attorney, Herb Williams, about which entity had the authority to hire and fire personnel. Williams opined that the mayor had the power to hire the city attorney and policemen, but all other positions were the responsibility of both the mayor and the board of aldermen.
Williams resigned the office of city attorney shortly thereafter, citing a disagreement with the mayor. Specifically, Williams said in a letter of resignation that Pennington had asked him to answer only to the mayor. He was replaced by Charlie Allen.
Pennington abruptly and unexpectedly resigned from the mayor’s office on Dec. 14, 1994, six days before TBI agents executed a search warrant at his home. District Attorney General William Paul Phillips told the Independent Herald at the time that the search of Pennington’s home was related to an investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office and the TBI into allegations of official misconduct. Pennington was ill at the time, and was hospitalized at a veterans hospital in Murfreesboro, Tenn. In a resignation letter, Pennington said that he was resigning due to poor health and problems with the board.
Cecil Anderson, who was at the time the town’s vice mayor, was appointed mayor pro tem to fill out the remainder of Pennington’s term.
When Pennington left office, he was the longest-serving mayor in Oneida’s history.
Death
Pennington died March 30, 2013 at his Oneida home with his family by his side. He was 67.
A funeral service was conducted on April 2, 2013 at Jones & Son Funeral Home in Oneida. Pennington was buried at Stanfill-Pleasant View Cemetery in Whitley County, Ky.