Thomas W. Luce III

Thomas W. Luce III is an American lawyer, government official, non-profit executive, and former advisor to H. Ross Perot. He is CEO of Biotech Initiatives at Lyda Hill Philanthropies.[1]

Thomas W. Luce III
Assistant Secretary of Education
In office
2005–2006
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Personal details
BornDallas, Texas, U.S.

Early life and education

Thomas W. Luce III was born in Dallas, Texas, where he was raised by a single mother.[2] He attended public schools in Highland Park Independent School District.[3]

He received an athletic scholarship to Virginia Military Institute but transferred to Southern Methodist University where he earned a B.B.A. in 1962 and a J.D. from the Dedman School of Law in 1966.[2][4]

Spirit of Texas

In 1982, Ross Perot Jr. and co-pilot Jay Coburn completed the first round-the-world flight in a helicopter, the Spirit of Texas. Tom Luce helped facilitate the achievement by arranging for a container ship to carry a shipping container filled with jet fuel into the middle of the Pacific Ocean to serve as a refueling station.[5]

Purchase of the Magna Carta

In 1984, Luce handled negotiations for a purchase of a 700-year-old copy of the Magna Carta by Ross Perot.[6] He brought the document to the United States wrapped in brown shipping paper and stowed in the coat closet across from his seat on a commercial American Airlines flight.[7]

Political activities

1990 Texas gubernatorial race

Luce ran for Governor of Texas as one of several Republicans looking to succeed outgoing Governor Bill Clements.[8] He placed third in the Republican primary with 115,835 votes.[9]

H. Ross Perot presidential campaign

A long-time advisor to Perot, Luce was the chairman of his campaign for President of the United States in 1992.[2][10]

Public service

George W. Bush administration

President Bush nominated Luce to the position of assistant secretary for the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development at the U.S. Department of Education on May 20, 2005, and the U.S. Senate confirmed his appointment to this position on July 1, 2005.[11]

State of Texas

Luce was appointed to major posts by Texas governors five times, including as chief justice pro tempore of the Supreme Court of Texas, as well as posts on the Sunset Advisory Commission and the Superconducting Super Collider Commission.[12] In 2012, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Joe Straus appointed Luce to the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Oversight Committee.[13]

Nonprofit leadership

In addition to his legal career and public service, Luce has founded and led a number of nonprofit organizations including the National Math and Science Initiative and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.[14][15]

Most recently, Luce founded the state policy think tank Texas 2036, "a nonpartisan 501c3 nonprofit that hopes to use data and research to drive the planning and policy Texans will need to address challenges impacting [the] state's future."[16]

Honors

In 2012, U.S. News & World Report inducted Luce into the U.S. News STEM Leadership Hall of Fame.[17]

Luce was recognized and honored by Republican Congressman Lamar Smith on the floor of the United States House of Representatives in 2012 "for his years of leadership and contributions to improving our public schools, strengthening higher education and supporting business and economic growth," and in 2015 by Democratic Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson for his role in education reform in Texas.[18][19]

In 2015, Sarah Fullinwider Perot and Ross Perot Jr. donated $1.75 million to endow the Thomas W. Luce, III Centennial Dedman Law Scholars Program at SMU.[20]

In 2018, he was awarded the 2018 Linz Award, an annual honor recognizing enduring civic or humanitarian efforts benefiting Dallas.[21]

In 2021, Luce was inducted into the Dallas Business Hall of Fame.[22]

References
  1. Engelland, Sandra (3 August 2022). "Fueling the Biotech Boom: Dallas College Lands 'Historic' $8.8M Grant to Train Workers as North Texas' Life Sciences Sector Soars". Dallas Innovates. Dallas Next. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  2. McGrory, Mary (11 June 1992). "Sitting at the hand of Perot". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  3. Luce, Tom (7 January 2020). "Texas 2036 founder Tom Luce on education in Texas, and why the business community needs to help". Houston Chronicle (Interview). Interviewed by Erin Douglas. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  4. "$1.75 million gift honors Tom Luce '66". The Quad. Dedman School of Law. Fall 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  5. Maddox, Will (4 October 2023). "The Adventures of Tom Luce". D CEO. D Magazine. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  6. Sel, W. Gardner (27 September 1984). "Magna Carta Purchase". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  7. Hall, Cheryl (12 July 2019). "Remembering Ross Perot: Tom Luce gets tapped to authenticate a Magna Carta and bring it safely to Dallas". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  8. Suro, Roberto (28 January 1990). "Race for Governor of Texas Is Surprising in Both Parties". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  9. Texas Alamac
  10. Shogan, Robert (17 June 1992). "3 Key Aides Help Perot Navigate Uncharted Waters : He recently hired political pros, but two longtime associates and a former editor are at the controls". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  11. "Bush Taps Spellings For Education". CBS News. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  12. Andy Langer (23 October 2018). "Tom Luce: "Texas Has Opportunity to Act Before We're in Crisis Mode"". The National Podcast of Texas (Podcast). Texas Monthly. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  13. "SPEAKER STRAUS APPOINTS TOM LUCE TO CANCER PREVENTION & RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TEXAS COMMITTEE" (Press release). Texas House of Representatives. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  14. "Tom Luce Speaks To PCAST On Stem Education And NMSI Programs". National Math and Science Initiative. March 15, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  15. "Hopes for sanity". Editorial. Houston Chronicle. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  16. Andrew Langer (23 October 2018). "Tom Luce: "Texas Has Opportunity to Act Before We're in Crisis Mode"". The National Podcast of Texas (Podcast). Texas Monthly. Event occurs at 00:36. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  17. "2012: U.S. News STEM Leadership Hall of Fame". U.S. News & World Report. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  18. 2012 Congressional Record, Vol. 158, Page E790 (May 15, 2012)
  19. 2015 Congressional Record, Vol. 161, Page E1347 (September 24, 2015)
  20. "Perots endow Tom Luce scholarships at SMU law school". Dallas Morning News. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  21. Ramirez, Marc (2 February 2018). "Tom Luce, education visionary who 'never takes a bow,' joins his heroes as Linz Award winner". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  22. "Junior Achievement Announces 2022 Business Hall of Fame Inductees". D Magazine. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
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