John Lucas (educator)

This article is about the American educator and university administrator. For his son and grandson, both basketball players and coaches, see John Lucas II and John Lucas III.

John Harding Lucas (born November 7, 1920) is an American educator and university administrator. He served as president of Shaw University and was instrumental in founding the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE).^[2]

John Harding Lucas
President of Shaw University
In office September 1986 – July 1987
Preceded by	Stanley Hugh Smith
Succeeded by	Talbert O. Shaw
Personal details
Born	John Harding Lucas (1920-11-07) November 7, 1920 (age 104)[1] Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Occupation	Academic and university administrator

Career

An alumnus of Shaw University and a World War II veteran who served in the Asiatic-Pacific theater,^[1][3][4] Lucas began his career as an elementary school and high school teacher, subsequently serving as principal of Orange Street Elementary and Mary Potter School in the town of Oxford.^[1] He served as principal of Hillside High School in Durham, North Carolina from 1962 to 1985.^[3][5]

From 1961 to 1972, Lucas headed the North Carolina chapter of the National Education Association (NEA), and following the era of segregation, was instrumental in forming a new statewide educators' association from the White N. C. Education Association and the Black N C. Teachers' Association.^[1] His proposal that a completely new professional organization be developed, which came to be known as the "Lucas concept," resulted in the 1970 creation of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE).^[2] He later served as the NCAE's fourth president.^[4] As a member of the board of trustees of Shaw University, he was appointed the university's interim president on September 16, 1986,^[6] and during the following year oversaw the university's recovery from a severe financial crisis.^[3][5]

Personal life and recognition

Lucas is the father of professional basketball and tennis player and coach John Lucas II,^[7] and is the grandfather of professional basketball players and coaches John Lucas III and Jai Lucas. He was awarded the Trenholm Memorial Award of the National Education Association for state-level and national-level educational leadership in July 2000.^[7] In 2012, a Durham public middle school, Lucas Middle School, was dedicated in his honor.^[4] In November 2013, he was conferred with the North Carolina Award, the state's highest civil honor, for his distinguished career in public service.^[2]