PPL : Danville City Commission honors KU lineman for historic achievements

Published: 2026-04-20 10:22:10 ET PPL

Published on 04/20/2026 at 10:22 am EDT

South Street renamed Leon Smith Way for KU's first African American line technician

(DANVILLE, Ky.) - Today the Danville City Commission renamed South Street as Leon Smith Way. The honor recognizes Leon Smith's historic contributions to the community as the first African American lineman for Kentucky Utilities. The longtime Danville resident started his first day on the job at KU in December of 1970, when, as in many good-paying professions of the time, there were no people of color.

"Leon Smith stepped forward in a time when it was frightening and dangerous to do so," said Danville Mayor James J.H. Atkins. "He faced tremendous pressure to succeed, not only for himself and his family, but for so many others who hoped for a fair opportunity in society. We're thankful for him and others who were part of changing history."

The street-naming ceremony was held at Danville City Hall with community members on hand. The honor comes in conjunction with National Lineman Appreciation Day, which current employees of Kentucky Utilities say is a fitting tribute to a member of their work family.

"We're extremely proud of the courage that Leon Smith showed in a time when this country was in a struggle for equality and civil rights," said LG&E and KU President John Crockett. "He not only proved that he could excel at the job, he handled challenges with grace and professionalism."

Leon Smith's ties to Danville go back to his childhood in the 1950s, when his mother worked as a cook at the Bluegrass Restaurant on Main Street. Although she worked there, she was not allowed to dine there because of segregation. After graduating high school, Leon worked as a mechanic at garage in downtown Danville. He earned a reputation for high intelligence and a tremendous work ethic, which grabbed the attention of Kentucky Utilities. The state's largest utility was looking to set an example in the spirit of the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, sex or national origin. Leon began working for KU in 1970 and retired in 1998.

###

Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) and its companies, are regulated utilities that serve nearly 1.4 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 336,000 natural gas and 443,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 581,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and 28,000 in five counties in Virginia. More information is available atwww.lge-ku.com andwww.pplweb.com .

For further information: call the LG&E and KU media hotline at 502-627-4999.

Disclaimer

PPL Corporation published this content on April 20, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 20, 2026 at 14:21 UTC.