Luska Joseph Twyman (May 19, 1913 – January 28, 1988) was a Kentucky politician and educator. Twyman became Kentucky's first African American mayor in 1968 when he became mayor of Glasgow, Kentucky, the county seat for Barren County. He also was World War II veteran.

Biography

Luska Joseph Twyman was born on May 19, 1913, in

Hiseville, Kentucky Hiseville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 240 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Glasgow Micropolitan Statistical Area. Hiseville was a city until ...

. Twyman attended public schools in Barren County and he graduated from the Mayo–Underwood School in Frankfort, Kentucky. He was an alumnus of

Kentucky State University Kentucky State University (KSU and KYSU) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Frankfort, Kentucky. Founded in 1886 as the State Normal School for Colored Persons ...

(1938; then known as Kentucky State College), and a 1936 initiate of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Alpha Upsilon chapter. Twyman also received a MS degree from Indiana University; and a

LLD Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation#Plural forms, abbrev ...

degree from Simmons University (later known as

Simmons College of Kentucky Simmons College of Kentucky is a private historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1879, it is the nation's 107th HBCU and is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education. History Beginnings In August 186 ...

). He was also a World War II veteran. Twyman was an appointee of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.Notable Kentucky African Americans Database
University of Kentucky library During his tenure as mayor, Twyman was also the principal of Ralph Bunche School (named after

Ralph Bunche Ralph Johnson Bunche (; August 7, 1904 – December 9, 1971) was an American political scientist, diplomat, and leading actor in the mid-20th-century decolonization process and US civil rights movement, who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize f ...

) in Glasgow, which originally was the city's school for African-Americans before integration. After integration in 1964, the school became the sixth-grade school for the entire

Glasgow Independent Schools Glasgow Independent Schools is a public school district in Barren County, Kentucky, based in Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United King ...

. He died on January 28, 1988, in Glasgow. The Luska J. Twyman Memorial Park in Glasgow, Kentucky is named for him. Additionally historical marker #2019 in Glasgow was in his honor.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Twyman, Luska 1913 births 1988 deaths African-American mayors in Kentucky United States Army personnel of World War II Kentucky State University alumni Mayors of places in Kentucky People from Glasgow, Kentucky United States Army soldiers African-American United States Army personnel African-American people in Kentucky politics 20th-century American politicians 20th-century African-American politicians African Americans in World War II