The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is saddened to learn of the passing of Harry Bancroft "Buck" Limehouse, Jr. Among other roles at the Department, Mr. Limehouse served as the first Secretary of Transportation in the history of the agency. He was appointed by former Governor Mark Sanford and confirmed by the SC Senate in August of 2007. Mr. Limehouse was charged with instituting efforts to reform the agency as directed by the legislature to remove politics from the project selection process.
The former Secretary's experience in transportation ran far and wide in both South Carolina and throughout the Southeast. He was elected to the SCDOT Commission representing the 1
st
Congressional District in 1993. In 1994 Governor Campbell appointed him to serve as the Commission's Chairman. He was reappointed as Chairman by Governor David Beasley in 1995, serving until 1999.
During his tenure as SCDOT Commission Chairman, and as a member of the State Infrastructure Bank Board, he was involved in the initiation of several transportation projects that totaled in the billions of dollars in value. Some of those projects include the Cross Island Parkway, the Conway Bypass (SC 22), the Carolina Bays Parkway (SC 31), and the US 17 Ace Basin project.
He also led the effort for SCDOT to acquire Sandy Island in Georgetown County. This preservation purchase permitted SCDOT to create a mitigation bank of 9,000 acres. That action allowed the coastal projects to move forward at an accelerated rate. In addition, the island was protected from further development and remains a natural treasure today.
Secretary of Transportation Christy A. Hall said the passing of Mr. Limehouse is a great loss. "Buck Limehouse was instrumental in completely reforming the operations of the Department of Transportation. His in-depth knowledge of the agency, coupled with his wealth of experience in transportation matters, made him the perfect first Secretary of Transportation for South Carolina. I am humbled to be able to serve in his footsteps and am forever grateful for his leadership," said Hall.
"The SCDOT Commission and entire SCDOT family send our deepest condolences to the Limehouse family. Buck Limehouse was passionate about transportation and continuously pushed for the agency to be innovative in its operations. His impact on infrastructure in our state is far-reaching and we appreciate his service to our great state," said SCDOT Commission Chairman Gene Branham
Mr. Limehouse was a native of Charleston and a 1960 graduate of The Citadel. He received the state's highest honor, the Order of the Palmetto in 1995 from Governor Campbell and again in 1999 from Governor Beasley.
