September 22, 1999
LAWRENCE --A 102-year-old University of Kansas alumnus will receive on Friday France's highest award in recognition for his military service during World War I.
Lucius J. Perkins, who graduated from KU in 1921, has been approved by the French government to receive The National Order of The Legion of Honor along with several other living American and Allied veterans who fought on French soil. The presentation ceremony will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice that ended the war.
Perkins enrolled at KU in 1915, but withdrew from the university during the Fall 1917 semester to voluntarily enlist in the U.S. Army. He served under the Headquarters 60th Field Artillery Brigade, 35th Division, American Expeditionary Force.
When the war ended, Perkins returned to KU and completed his bachelor's of science degree in Electrical Engineering. He later went on to work for the General Electric Company, where he was credited with three electrical-related patents.
Perkins also served in the army during World War II as an Army Procurement Officer, achieving the rank of Major.
Perkins currently resides in Ramona, Calif.
Contact: Ranjit Arab, (785) 864-8855.