Throwback Thursday: The Story of Joe Denning
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A police officer, Kentucky State Trooper, City Commissioner, and Mayor Pro Tem — Joe Denning’s life of service helped reshape local history in Bowling Green. As we continue with Black History Month celebrations of local African American trailblazers, we remember a local man who quietly broke barriers and opened doors.
Born in Bowling Green in 1945, Joe Denning came of age during segregation — a time when leadership roles in government were out of reach for many African Americans. In a southern town like Bowling Green, the civil rights era was no stranger to conflict. Joe Denning chose public service anyway.
Denning graduated in 1964 from High Street High School, the last remnant of segregated schools in Bowling Green and Warren County – it would be phased out and integrated with Bowling Green City Schools in the 1965-66 school year. Bowling gGeen was nearly a decade behind the national requirements to desegregate after the 1954 Brown vs. Board Supreme Court decision deemed it unconstitutional. Up until this time, many everyday living aspects of Bowling Green ife were still very divided, even with the Park City Daily News separating white from “colored” news stories.
In 1970, Joe Denning graduated from the Kentucky State Police Academy, becoming the second African American trooper in the history of the Kentucky State Police. He would go on to become the first black officer of the Bowling Green Police Department.
In 1975, voters made history alongside him. Denning became the first African American elected to public office in Bowling Green and Warren County as a member of the Bowling Green School Board.
Then in 1991, he was elected the first African American City Commissioner in Bowling Green, known for listening more than speaking and focusing on the everyday concerns of residents. Then, in January 2011, a historic moment followed. When Mayor Elaine Walker resigned to become Kentucky’s Secretary of State, Denning — serving as Mayor Pro Tem — stepped forward, becoming Bowling Green’s first African American Mayor. A lifetime of steady service had led him to lead his hometown.
His legacy is still visible today. In August 2023, the lobby of Bowling Green City Hall was officially named Denning Commons in his honor. A plaque unveiled during a dedication ceremony recognized his decades of commitment to the community. Residents now pass through that space every day — a reminder of how one person’s persistence can change what leadership looks like.
Joe Denning didn’t seek attention. He sought service — and in doing so, he made history for Bowling Green and for those who would follow.
