Thomas Lawrence Johnson

Tom was born June 10, 1938 in Ysleta, Texas to Travis and Anne Johnson. Travis was a bank examiner and Anne a house wife. 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). 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 as an enthusiastic 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; you don’t have anxieties.”

He gained a national reputation as a leader in the highway construction industry, respected by the state’s political leadership for his commitment to making Texas highways the nation’s best.

The Texas Department of Transportation honored him with the Russell H. Perry Award in 2007 and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association named Johnson 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.

Johnson 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 was widely respected by political figures in Austin and Washington, including the last eight Texas governors.

He acquired a reputation for a sunny and optimistic disposition. General Tommy Franks once said of his longtime friend: “Tom Johnson has never had a bad day in his life.”

His best friend was legendary 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 Doug often called him when he was having bad days. Tom’s typical response: “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, Doug acknowledged that he needed “one conversation with Tom per week to keep my outlook positive.”

Tom calmly 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 fifty years of leadership of AGC 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 the legendary Dewitt Greer who, as Engineer Director of the Texas Highway Department during decades as its leader, shaped the state’s road system. The Texas Department of Transportation building across from the State Capitol bears Greer’s name. Similarly, AGC leaders named their building, a dozen blocks south of the Capitol, for Tom following his 2017 retirement.

“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. He recognized setbacks but always found a path forward in a very positive manner,” industry leader Johnny Weisman once said of Johnson.

Tom is survived by his wife of 18 years, Katherine (Kathy) Patman Johnson; son Thomas Johnson; daughter Karen Johnson Rove and son-in-law Karl Rove and through Kathy, her children, Philip Patman, Jr. and Katherine Patman Vesely and their spouses, Karina Mueller Patman and Greg Vesely and Kathy’s three grandchildren. Tom’s first wife Kay Miller Johnson and older brother Travis Johnson predeceased him.

In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for donations to the “Kay Johnson Memorial Library,” c/o the Austin Community Foundation, 4315 Guadalupe Street, #300, Austin, Texas 78751.

A celebration of his life will be held at 10 A.M. on Friday, September 25, at the Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home at 5416 Parkcrest Drive in Austin, TX 78731 with lunch following at the Headliners Club at 221 West 6th Street, 21st floor in Austin, TX 78701.