Tue, Feb 09 2010
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Published February 16, 2009 02:03 pm - As the citizens of Glasgow speed through another month of the new year, we pause in the middle of Black History Month to reflect on one of Glasgow’s own history-makers. Twyman was a pioneer By AMBER DILLEY Glasgow Daily Times GLASGOW — As the citizens of Glasgow speed through another month of the new year, we pause in the middle of Black History Month to reflect on one of Glasgow’s own history-makers.
Luska J. Twyman was 54-years-old when he became Kentucky’s first African-American mayor and remained the only one for some time. He was also the first African-American to serve on the U.S. Commission of Human Rights and the U.S. Commission of Agriculture. But a lot of fond memories of Twyman come from before that time. After serving four years in the military, in the early ’50s, he came back home and helped start construction on the Bunche School, later becoming principal. “He was an excellent principal and such a good person,” said Alma Glover, director of the Ralph Bunche Community Center, formerly the school. “He wanted everything just right in order to make sure all of his students were well taken care of and got a good education. He was just one of those people you wanted to be around, but he meant business. He wanted his students to excel and he made sure we had what we needed to be successful as students. He fought to get what we had. He was one of the great educators of his time and I have great respect for him.” In 1950, a revenue bond was passed and the Bunche School structure was started, to be completed in 1955 with a gym and industrial arts shop. This was the most complete school program — housing grades first through 12th — ever provided for Glasgow and the surrounding area. The school remained the African-American school for the area until 1964, in the midst of national disorder, the Bunche School was consolidated with the Glasgow High School, converted into an elementary and the schools were intergrated. Twyman served as assistant principal for Glasgow High School until 1975. While serving Glasgow’s youth, Twyman entered another arena: city government. In 1963, he ran for and was elected to the Glasgow Common Council (now the city council), the first African-American to become an elected official in Barren County. He led the entire ticket of 12 men, repeating this effort for two additional terms. Joe Lane Travis, the city attorney when Twyman was in office, said he thought Twyman was “a nice fellow.” “He was a gentleman,” Travis said. “I got along with him well and I liked him.” 
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