News Archive
Co-chair of IMPACT Campaign Leads by Example
05/01/2012
Lacy Johnson, ’81, won’t ask anyone to do something he’s not willing to do himself. That’s one of the reasons he and his wife Patricia have made a $250,000 gift commitment to the law school as part of the IUPUI IMPACT Campaign.
“As co-chair of the law school’s IMPACT Campaign, it would be hard for me to come and ask you for money if I’m not giving. It’s an example of leading by leadership,” Johnson said. “I knew that if I accepted the chair that I needed to step up and make a commitment myself.”
A portion of his gift will be channeled toward the Gerald L. Bepko Endowed Chair. Funding endowed chairs is one of the law school’s greatest challenges, Johnson said he learned from Dean Gary Roberts. “I was shocked to learn the extent to which we’re lacking in this area,” he said, “that we are behind other law schools our size concerning endowed chairs.”
He elected to have part of his gift be used toward the endowment of the Bepko Chair in Law because he’s worked alongside Chancellor Emeritus Gerald L. Bepko in several community organizations.
The other portion of his gift commitment established the Lacy M. Johnson Scholarship, which will help to fund scholarships for law students from underrepresented backgrounds. Johnson looks back on his law school experience and notes that he had very little student loan debt thanks to others who had come before him and set aside money for scholarships that he was fortunate enough to receive. “It is incumbent upon me to do no less,” he said.
Before he joined the Indianapolis-based law firm Ice Miller, he was an attorney in government relations services at Sagamore-Bainbridge, Inc.; director of security for the Indiana State Lottery; liaison with the Indiana General Assembly and lieutenant colonel and deputy superintendent for support services for the Indiana State Police. He’s also a former lieutenant commander of the United States Naval Intelligence Reserves.
In addition to serving as co-chair of the law school’s IMPACT Campaign, Johnson is a member of the Board of Visitors. His community involvement includes serving on the board of directors of the Indianapolis Airport Authority, and as a board member or member of the following organizations: IUPUI Advisory Board, Indiana University Foundation, Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute, Skyline Club, Indianapolis Downtown Inc., Oaks Academy, American Pianists Association, American Red Cross National Diversity Advisory Council, United States Democratic Caucus PAC Board, Lawyers Council of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.
