About

The Tree That Grew in Midway: Harold V. Lucas, Jr.

The Foundation

The core values of education and service to others were instilled in Harold V. Lucas, Jr. by his father, Harold Sr. In an effort to continue that legacy perpetually, Lucas Jr. formed the Harold V. Lucas, Jr. Foundation on June 8, 2020.

The mission of The Harold V. Lucas, Jr. Foundation is to enhance the historical and cultural advancement of the Daytona Beach Midtown community while continuing the legacy of education, athletics, service, leadership, and philanthropy of Harold V. Lucas, Jr. with a commitment to honor the past and contribute to the future.

The Foundation is housed at The Lucas Center in the Midtown area of Daytona Beach, FL. It sits on the same site where Lucas, Sr. built his home in the early 1920s. In May 2021, the Florida Historical Marker Council designated the site of The Home of Harold V. Lucas, Sr. as a historical site.

A Legacy of Service to Midtown

Harold V. Lucas Sr., a native New Yorker, and alumnus of New York University was working as a stenographer in New York City’s historic Woolworth Building when recommended by his brother Clarence Lucas, former Bursar at Tuskegee University to Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune to set up the first accounting system for Bethune-Cookman College. Lucas accepted the offer and moved to Daytona Beach, Florida in 1920. Although this move was deep into the segregated south, Midway, now known as Midtown was a prominent area for Black people providing a safe community to shop, worship, socialize and start a family. Also, relocation from Brooklyn, New York to a warmer climate proved beneficial for Lucas Sr. due to a physical disability that presented life changing challenges. Fortunately, the disability caused by an automobile accident did not prevent Lucas Sr. from achieving his short and long-term goals.

Lucas Sr.’s role at B-CC consisted of developing and maintaining a schoolwide accounting system while serving as Dr. Bethune’s corresponding secretary. During this time Lucas Sr. also contributed to Midtown by starting two businesses he ran from his home: a printing business and business classes where he offered typing and shorthand to both the community and students enrolled at Bethune-Cookman College. Rare at the time, these community classes qualified and placed over 70 Black students in government jobs in Washington DC and across the nation. Over time, Dr. Bethune learned of the success of the classes and she commissioned Lucas, Sr. to teach those classes at Bethune which led to him founding the business department. Lucas Sr. served in faculty and administrative positions for 37 years. Lucas Sr. also taught business classes at Campbell Street High School, the only Black high school in the city.

In recognition of Lucas Sr.’s contributions to the city, The City of Daytona Beach designated February 19, 2022, as Harold V. Lucas, Sr. Day! The proclamation was presented in front of a large gathering of the Lucas family, friends, and community members during the unveiling of The Home of Harold V. Lucas, Sr. Historical Marker. Lucas Sr. would be proud to know that his only child, Harold Jr. has committed to honoring and continuing the Lucas family legacy of service.

H.V. Lucas, Jr. Bio