AUSTIN, TX — Thomas L. Johnson, 88, passed away early Saturday, September 12, following a brief illness.
Tom was born June 10, 1938 in Ysleta, Texas, to Travis and Anne Johnson. Travis was a bank examiner and Anne a housewife. Tom grew up in Ysleta, 20 miles southeast of El Paso. He graduated from Texas A&M, class of 1959, with a business administration degree. He was Company Commander in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and remained close to his Aggie buddies for the rest of his life.
Tom spent half a century helping lead the development of the modern Texas highway system as Executive Vice President of Associated General Contractors of Texas (AGC of Texas). This organization is composed of the state’s highway and bridge builders responsible for developing much of the Texas transportation network.
Tom arrived at AGC of Texas as a 29-year-old and found himself running the association’s day-to-day two years later, when his predecessor succumbed to cancer. Though young and inexperienced, Tom once quipped that he felt no anxieties taking over the high-pressure job.
“I went to A&M," he said. "You don’t have anxieties.”
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He gained a national reputation as a leader in the highway construction industry, known by the state’s political leadership for his commitment to Texas highways.
The Texas Department of Transportation honored Tom with the Russell H. Perry Award in 2007, and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association named him one of the “Top 100 Design & Construction Specialists of the 20th Century.” He was inducted into the Texas Transportation Institute’s Hall of Honor in 2006.
Tom was also active in local, state, and national organizations, having been on the Austin National Bank board, served as President of Austin’s Headliners Club, and was appointed during the President George W. Bush administration to the National Parks Foundation.
Tom worked closely with Texas state leaders and legislators on improving and expanding the state’s highway system. He forged connections with political figures in Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C., including the last eight Texas governors.
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He acquired a reputation for a sunny and optimistic disposition.
“Tom Johnson has never had a bad day in his life,” General Tommy Franks once said of his longtime friend.
His best friend was Texas road and bridge builder Doug Pitcock, whose Williams Brothers Construction Company has built thousands of bridges and miles of Texas highways.
Tom once described how Pitcock often called him when he was having bad days. Tom’s typical response was: “Aren’t we lucky that that happened? How lucky can we be? What’s not to be optimistic about?” In remarks during AGC of Texas’ 90th anniversary dinner 10 years ago, Pitcock acknowledged that he needed “one conversation with Tom per week to keep my outlook positive.”
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Tom steered Texas highway contractors on a steady path while the state’s transportation system was greatly expanded. It now includes some 200,000 lane miles managed by the Texas Department of Transportation.
His 50 years of leadership at AGC of Texas as its Executive Vice President won praise from other industry leaders.
“Almost single-handedly, Tom helped build this industry,” said former AGC of Texas President Zack Burkett III of his longtime friend.
Some in the industry compare Tom to Dewitt Greer, who shaped the state’s road system as Engineer Director of the Texas Highway Department for decades. The Texas Department of Transportation building across from the State Capitol bears Greer’s name. Similarly, AGC of Texas leaders named their building, a dozen blocks south of the Capitol, for Tom following his 2017 retirement.
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“He could handle any issue, any matter, or level of engagement — whether it was a contractor all the way up to the Texas governor or U.S. president," industry leader Johnny Weisman once said of Tom. "He recognized setbacks but always found a path forward in a very positive manner.”
