Bill Lucas commits $10M to cancer research, student support
The scholarship will support Arizona residents, and a bequest will fund the college’s Cancer Engineering Initiative.
In biomedical engineering assistant professor Shang Song’s lab, undergraduates Ethan Taylor (left) and Lucas Mellinger stand by as a 3D bioprinter creates living cells.
Jindi Sun
Bill Lucas, a 1973 mechanical engineering graduate, has committed $10 million to establish two endowed funds. One supports student scholarships, another the University of Arizona’s Cancer Engineering Initiative.
70 years of love and life
Lucas, who was born in Boston, spent most of his life, nearly 70 years, in Arizona. He arrived in Tucson at 6 years old and fondly remembers joining his parents for guest lectures, called Sunday Evening Forums, at the U of A campus auditorium, later named Centennial Hall.
He eventually enrolled at the university, then put his engineering degree to good use. His 40-year career included two decades as an engineering superintendent with Tucson Electric Power.
“I enjoyed my last 20 years at TEP. It's one of those jobs where you would do some hands-on work,” said Lucas. “I took a certain pride in getting something done that felt tangible.”
Grace Ann 'Gracie' Becker and Bill Lucas pose after their Louisiana courthouse wedding in 1980.
Bill Lucas
His connection to the university ran deep. Lucas courted his future wife, Grace Ann “Gracie” Becker, strolling through the lush gardens on campus.
“She had a green thumb,” he said. “She could make anything grow.”
Becker graduated from the U of A in 1973 with a degree in zoology. She transitioned to real estate after graduation, and within a few short years, she took over her mother’s business.
“She was a real whiz at buying and selling real estate,” Lucas said.
Giving back in more ways than one
The Wildcat couple was dedicated to philanthropy, including donations to the College of Engineering.
In recent years, Lucas had sought to do more.
“I wanted to help kids with financial need,” he said.
That generosity led to the William Lucas and Gracie Becker Endowed Scholarship, which will be available to Arizona residents in 2026.
And he didn’t stop there. Lucas decided to make a blended gift, combining outright giving with a bequest from his estate. The bequest establishes the William Lucas and Gracie Becker Cancer Engineering Endowment, in honor of his wife, who passed away from cancer in 2022.
The cancer initiative, which began in 2022, brings together experts in biomedical engineering, biology, and 3D printing to study cancer cell growth and improve treatments with individualized medicine.
“I think she'd be very happy knowing the endowment will help move technology forward in a very positive manner.”
