Luska Twyman
American politician (1913–1988)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[1][2][3] He also was World War II veteran.
Luska Joseph Twyman | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 19, 1913 Hiseville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 1988 (aged 74) Glasgow, Kentucky, U.S. |
Burial place | Bearwallow Baptist Cemetery, Horse Cave, Hart County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Other name | Luska J. Twyman |
| Alma mater | Kentucky State College Indiana University Simmons College of Kentucky |
| Occupations | Politician, educator |
Biography
Luska Joseph Twyman was born on May 19, 1913, in Hiseville, Kentucky.[4] Twyman attended public schools in Barren County and he graduated from the Mayo–Underwood School in Frankfort, Kentucky.[4][5] He was an alumnus of Kentucky State University (1938; then known as Kentucky State College),[1][6] and a 1936 initiate of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Alpha Upsilon chapter. Twyman also received a MS degree from Indiana University;[1] and a LLD degree from Simmons University (later known as Simmons College of Kentucky).[1] He was also a World War II veteran.[4]
Twyman was an appointee of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.[7] During his tenure as mayor, Twyman was also the principal of Ralph Bunche School (named after Ralph Bunche) in Glasgow, which originally was the city's school for African-Americans before integration.[4] After integration in 1964,[4] the school became the sixth-grade school for the entire Glasgow Independent Schools.
He died on January 28, 1988, in Glasgow.[1] The Luska J. Twyman Memorial Park in Glasgow, Kentucky is named for him. Additionally historical marker #2019 in Glasgow was in his honor.