SC’s first transportation secretary, one of state’s ‘finest public servants,’ dies at 83
Harry Bancroft “Buck” Limehouse, Jr., who was the first person in South Carolina to hold the title of transportation secretary, died Thursday. He was 83.
Limehouse, a Charleston native, died after a long battle with cancer, the Charleston Post and Courier reported.
“South Carolina has lost one of her finest public servants and business leaders — Buck Limehouse,” Gov. Henry McMastertweeted Friday. “He was an advisor and confidant of many state leaders, including Governors Campbell and Beasley. His positive influence on our state is enormous. Peggy and I send our prayers and love to the entire Limehouse family.”
The governor ordered that flags atop the State House and state-owned buildings be lowered to half-staff.
Limehouse, who graduated from South Carolina military college The Citadel in 1960, was elected by the Legislature to thestate Department of Transportation commission in 1993. He was appointed by the late Gov. Carroll Campbell as commission chairman, and later reappointed as chairman by former Gov. David Beasley.
He held that job from 1994-1999.
He received the state’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto from Campbell and Beasley.
Limehouse also sat on the State Infrastructure Bank’s board, which provides financial assistance to local governments and private entities for highway and transportation projects, pushing for projects that included the Ravenel Bridge construction in Charleston. Limehouse also helped to preserve 9,000 acres of Sandy Island in Georgetown County as a way to offset the land needed to build out road projects including Interstate 185 in the Upstate, the Conway Bypass and the Carolina Bays Parkway in the Myrtle Beach area.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called Limehouse’s work on the infrastructure bank a game changer for the state.
“Buck’s leadership style was always forward-looking, and South Carolina benefited from his dedicated service,” Graham said. “A successful businessman and great friend, Buck was a guy who could bring people together for the common good.”
In 1995, the S.C. Transportation Policy Council named Limehouse as “Transportation Advocate of the Year.”
“Buck Limehouse was passionate about transportation and continuously pushed for the agency to be innovative in its operations,” said Gene Branham, agency commission chairman. “His impact on infrastructure in our state is far reaching and we appreciate his service to our great state.”
Limehouse ran for the 1st Congressional District in 2000, but lost in a Republican runoff to Henry Brown.
In 2007, after a reform of the S.C. Department of Transportation, then-Gov. Mark Sanford appointed Limehouse to be the agency’s first secretary of transportation. The previous leader of the agency held the title of executive director.
Limehouse was charged with instituting reform efforts in the agency put in place by the Legislature to remove politics from the project selection process, the transportation agency said in its statement.
Limehouse served as secretary of transportation until 2011.
“His in-depth knowledge of the agency,” said state Transportation Secretary Christy Hall, “coupled with his wealth of experience in transportation matters, made him the perfect first secretary of transportation for South Carolina.”
