Wing Luke

Wing Luke
Chinese: 陸榮昌; pinyin: Lù Róngchāng; Jyutping: Luk6 Wing4coeng1
Wing Luke in kitchen, circa 1963
Assistant Attorney General of Washington
In office 1957–1962
Member of the Seattle City Council for position 5
In office March 13, 1962 – 1965
Personal details
Born	(1925-02-25)February 25, 1925 Near Canton, China
Died	16 May 1965(1965-05-16) (aged 40)
Alma mater	University of Washington, Seattle University of Washington School of Law, Seattle

Wing Chong Luke (February 25, 1925 – April 28, 1965, Chinese: 陸榮昌; pinyin: Lù Róngchāng; Jyutping: Luk⁶ Wing⁴coeng¹) was Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. state of Washington in the Civil Rights Division from 1957 to 1962, and a member of the Seattle City Council from March 13, 1962 until his death in 1965. He was the first Asian American to hold elected office in the state.

Luke was born on February 25, 1925, in a small town near Canton. His grandfather had run a laundry in Seattle, but exclusion laws forced Luke's father to return to China. When Luke was five, his family moved to the United States, but he did not settle in Seattle until 1931, at the age of six. Upon its arrival in Seattle, the family saved to open a modest laundry and grocery store in the University District. Luke was the oldest of six children.

While in school, Luke was often teased for his Chinese origins. However, he eventually became the Roosevelt High School student body president. In 1944, his grades and civic activities earned him one of nine slots, as a high school consultant for the White House Conference on juvenile problems.

Only halfway through his senior year of high school, Luke was inducted into the US Army. Initially in the Army Specialized Training Program, he then joined the infantry and field artillery and was acting first sergeant and regimental S-1 sergeant in the 40th division Field Artillery. He served in Guam, Korea, New Guinea, New Britain and the Philippines, where he received the Bronze Star Medal and six combat stars.