By Tony McVeigh
Frankfort, KY – The first African-American to serve on the Kentucky Supreme Court has been honored at the State Capitol. The rotunda was filled to capacity for the unveiling of a bust of the late Justice William McAnulty of Louisville. Chief Justice John Minton says McAnulty was a trusted friend and valued colleague.
"We miss his voice in the conference room and it's important, as an important symbol of his leadership, that a bust honoring his commitment to racial fairness and his willingness to be the first in so many ways be commemorated by a bust in the Capitol building."
Justice McAnulty, who broke the color barrier on the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1988, was appointed to the Supreme Court in June 2006. The following November, he was elected to a full eight-year term, but died before he could complete the term. Louisville artist Ed Hamilton sculpted the bust, which will be put on permanent display in the vestibule of the Supreme Court chamber.