By JAMES BROWN
Glasgow News 1
Glasgow officials have formally renamed city hall in honor of former Mayor Luska J. Twyman, recognizing his long tenure in office and lasting impact on the community.
Twyman served as mayor of Glasgow from 1968 to 1985. He was the first black mayor in a non-majority black city east of the Mississippi River.
“Yes, he was a mayor, but he was a leader in our community through education and government and his faith. He proudly served this community and the Glasgow City Council for a number of years and he was mayor for 17 years,” said Terry Bunnell, president of the Glasgow-Barren County Community Foundation, and a Glasgow council member.
The newly dedicated Luska J. Twyman Municipal Building is the result of a resolution introduced before the council by Bunnell. He pitched the resolution in January 2025 and it was approved.
While on the council, Twyman was also principal at Bunche School, which was the only 12-year school for black students in Barren County. When the Glasgow city schools were desegregated in in the mid-1960s, Twyman moved to Glasgow High School as assistant principal. He was appointed mayor a few years later when then mayor Robert Lessenberry resigned. Twyman won his first mayoral election in 1970.
“He was my Sunday school teacher, plus my principal,” Alonzo Webb said while standing outside the municipal building. The Sunday afternoon dedication ceremony began with the revelation of a plaque baring Twyman’s likeness and information about his life and career. “He was a role model in the school, a role model in the church.”
Webb attended Bunche School for the first two years of his high school career, and graduated from Glasgow High School after integration.
“He pushed for education in the community. He pushed for better positions, better schooling, books, facilities, and all [for Bunche School],” Webb remembered. He said as an adult he learned just how much Twyman meant to the community, especially his focus on education.
First Baptist Church pastor Michael Rice speaks during the Luska J. Twyman Municipal Building Dedication Ceremony on Sunday, July 26. James Brown/Glasgow News 1
“Beyond his history-making achievement as mayor, he was certainly a key component of the education of many of us who are of hue,” said Michael Rice, pastor of First Baptist Church in Glasgow, where Twyman served as a deacon. “He showed us that leadership begins with character, service, and a commitment to helping others succeed.
“His life reminds us that ordinary people, through faith, determination, and service, can accomplish extraordinary things.”
Bunnell said during the dedication ceremony the city hall renaming was a high honor and that Twyman was worthy of respect and recognition.
He added that Twyman would always say, “I try to do the best for the most people.”
Key Facts
• Glasgow has officially renamed city hall for former Mayor Luska Twyman.
• Twyman served as mayor from 1968 to 1985, a total of 17 years.
• He is recognized as a pioneering Black mayor in a non-majority Black city east of the Mississippi River.
• The resolution to rename the building was introduced in January 2025 by Council member Terry Vanella.
• City officials say the new name honors Twyman’s leadership, faith and community service.
Comments