From a distinguished legal career to becoming a state policy visionary, Tom Luce has spent a lifetime not just asking the tough questions but answering them with bold, forward-thinking solutions.
But his path to launching Texas 2036 is only part of the story.
Along the way, Tom has worn many hats: legal fixer for business titan Ross Perot Sr., Texas gubernatorial candidate in the 1990s, public servant in the George W. Bush administration, leader at Lyda Hill Philanthropies and more. Truthfully, there’s more to Tom than meets the eye.
That’s why, in honor of Tom Luce’s birthday on June 18, we’re taking a moment to spotlight three remarkable moments from his life prior to establishing Texas 2036. These aren’t just career milestones, they’re proof that Tom might be one of the most fascinating men in the Lone Star State.
1. Tom Luce helped Ross Perot Jr. complete his helicopter trip around the world
In 1982, Perot’s son, Ross Perot Jr., and copilot Jay Coburn left Dallas to circumnavigate the globe in a Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II helicopter called the Spirit of Texas. But the two ran into a problem – how can someone land and refuel in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?
With Perot Jr. already on his journey, Perot Sr. called Luce and asked him to figure out a solution. However, the Dallas attorney had two-and-half-weeks to create a refueling station in the middle of the ocean between Asia and Alaska.
Despite the tall order, Tom convinced a San Francisco container ship to load a shipping container with jet fuel and rendezvous in the middle of the Pacific as a refueling pit stop. Thanks to that ingenious plan, Perot Jr., at just 23 years old, became the first person to fly around the world in a helicopter. That feat wouldn’t have been possible without Tom Luce.
2. That time Tom Luce flew the Magna Carta to Texas
Getting unusual requests from Perot Sr. wasn’t out of the norm for Tom. But he never expected to fly commercial with one of the most important documents in world history.
Tom was asked in 1984 to authenticate a document that Perot’s foundation had purchased: an early copy of the Magna Carta. Originally signed in 1215, the Magna Carta limited the power of the English king and established basic rights like fair laws and justice. It later helped lay the foundation for the U.S. Constitution.
After traveling to the U.K., Tom found an authenticator who confirmed the 700-year-old manuscript was the real deal. The next task? Flying it home.
On his return flight to Dallas, Tom sat next to the coat closet, where the Magna Carta was carefully stashed. When he landed at DFW and was asked if he had anything to declare, he replied, “Yes, the Magna Carta.”
In 2007, Perot’s foundation sold the document for $21 million to support medical research.
3. Tom Luce served on the Texas Supreme Court – for one case
Tom’s career has taken many unexpected turns throughout his lifetime, but few are as unique as the time he temporarily served on the state’s highest court.
Thanks to a rare provision in the Texas Constitution, the governor can appoint a temporary justice to the Supreme Court when a vote ends in a tie. That’s exactly what happened in 1988, when the justices found themselves deadlocked after Chief Justice Tom Phillips recused himself from a case. Governor Bill Clements picked up the phone and called Tom Luce to step in as Chief Justice Pro Tempore.
When Tom asked if that was even allowed for a single case, Clements replied, “By God, don’t tell me what I can do!”
Tom put on the robe and heard the reargued case. The arguments took hours, and it took months for the court to reach a decision and issue an opinion.
Tom later told D Magazine that the experience “satisfied my itch” for a possible judicial career.
