Member

Luke was born on July 18, 1917, in Darlington County, South Carolina. He graduated from St. John’s High School in Darlington in 1934, and attended North Carolina State College from 1934 to 1936, majoring in forestry. He attended Utah State College and received a BS degree in forestry in 1938. He was employed by the Utah Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit in 1938 and worked on population and habitat studies of waterfowl and mule deer. From 1938 to 1940, he was employed by the Colorado Game and Fish Department and worked on mule deer, sage grouse, and beaver. From 1940 to 1948, he was employed by the Fish and Wildlife Service at Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, Maryland, on forest/wildlife relations. This period at Patuxent was interrupted by a four-year stint of active duty in the U.S. Naval Reserve aboard a destroyer and cruiser. Luke worked for the Ingram-Dargan Lumber Company as a forester from 1948 to 1950. In 1950, he became a consulting forester, and he remained in this position until 1997 when he retired. Luke was active in many professional natural resources groups, including the South Carolina Farm Bureau, where he served as chairman of the forestry and natural resources committee for ten years. He was chairman of the forestry advisory committee of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Luke served as commissioner on the South Carolina Water Resources Commission, as a board member of the South Carolina Forestry Association, and as member of the South Carolina Governor’s Advisory Council on Natural Resources. Luke was active in Boy Scouts where he served as scout master and received the Silver Beaver Award. He served with the Girl Scouts and assisted his wife, who was a troop leader, and acted as general camping helper for the troops of his daughters. Luke served on the council camp development committee. Luke also was active in local, regional, and state historical societies. Luke married Sarah Frances Edwards, also from Darlington, on October 23, 1948, and they had four daughters. Luke was elected to membership in 1946 and has been a non-resident member since 1948. In retirement, Luke served on the board of the South Carolina Water Resources Planning and Coordination Committee for seventeen years and was chairman for seven years. He also served on the committee of taxation for the Forestry Association. He was active in the Historical Society and because of his Welch background was active in the St. Davis Sociey.