In 1962, Wing Luke became the first person of color elected to Seattle City Council and the first Asian American elected to public office in King County.
Born in China, Luke moved to Seattle as a young child and attended Roosevelt High School where he was student body president. After serving in the Army he returned to Seattle, earning undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Washington and serving as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Washington.
Campaign materials held at SMA outline his civic leadership experience and involvement in community organizations such as the Urban League, the Jackson Street Community Council, the Greater Seattle Housing Council, the Civic Unity Committee, the China Club, the Japanese-American Citizens’ League, the Race Relations Committee of the Seattle Council of Churches, and the Seattle Chapter of the Young Democrats. While a member of the Jackson Street Community Council in 1957, he worked for the construction of a pathway between Jackson and Main Streets at 8th Avenue South, providing a key benefit for Yesler Terrace residents who shopped at the grocery store at the bottom of the hill.
Luke left his role as Assistant Attorney General when he was elected to Seattle City Council in 1962. During his time on Council he was a champion for civil rights and progressive reform. He played a key role in creating the Seattle Human Rights Commission and was a strong advocate for the city’s first open housing ordinance, eventually passed in 1968. He also convinced some council colleagues of the importance of preserving Pioneer Square and other historic areas, helping to spark the preservation movement in Seattle.
Wing Luke served on City Council until his tragic death in an airplane crash in 1965. His legacy continues today in many ways, including through the Wing Luke Museum, the Wing Luke Civil Rights Unit of the state Attorney General’s Office, Wing Luke Elementary School, and the Wing Luke Conference Room named in his honor located in the Legislative Department at Seattle City Hall.