William E. Aud , one of the talented young lawyers of Owensboro, was born in Knottsville, Daviess County, Kentucky, March 19, 1870.

His father, Hilliary T. Aud, was also a native of Daviess County, and was educated at St. Mary’s College, graduating when quite young. He began as a clerk in a store in Knottsville, and after serving in that capacity for four years, in 1860 he and his brother purchased the property of his employer and established the firm of J. B. Aud & Brother, which is still in existence, and is the oldest mercantile establishment in that town. Mr. H. T. Aud was married September 29, 1863, to Victoria Jarboe, and they had seven children: Guy G., Henry T., William E., Regina, Mary Joseph, Mary Rock and Victoria. Of these Guy G., Regina and Victoria are deceased.

Thomas C. Aud (grandfather) was a native of Nelson County, Kentucky, a highly educated man and a practicing physician in Knottsville, Daviess County, where he died in 1853. He married Alice Birkhead of Nelson County, Kentucky, daughter of Abraham Birkhead, and had seven children: Joseph B., Ellen, Maggie, Hillary T., Charles Z., Atha Matilda J. and George, all of whom are living except George and Matilda.

Ignatius Jarboe (maternal grandfather) was born in Nelson County, Kentucky, about 1805, and was a farmer in that county until a short time prior to the Civil war, when he removed to Daviess County and located about three miles from Knottsville and was a farmer there until the time of his death in 1884. His wife was a Miss Martina Speaks of Nelson County, and they had six children: Raymond, Henry, Benjamin, Victoria, Josephine and Edward, all of whom are dead except Victoria and Edward.

The parents and grandparents of the subject of this sketch and their antecedents were members of the Catholic Church. His grandfathers were Democrats, but his father is a Republican and is very active and influential in his party.

William E. Aud was educated in Jasper College, which is a branch of St. Meinrad College, Indiana, and in Cecilian College, Hardin County, and also graduated from the commercial department of Cecilian College in 1890.

He began the study of law in the office of Powers & Achison in Owensboro, and was admitted to the bar in March, 1891, when twenty-one years of age, and began the active duties of his chosen profession in 1893, and in the same year was appointed public administrator for Daviess County. He at once met with encouragement and has enjoyed a young lawyer’s full share of business at the Owensboro bar; and being attentive to business, a diligent student and an industrious worker in behalf of his clients, he has the promise of a brilliant future. Mr. Aud is a Democrat in politics, but is modest in his ambition for political preferment.

Source: Biographical Cyclopedia of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. John M. Gresham Company, Chicago, Philadelphia, 1896.