Les Purce

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Les Purce

| image = Evergreen President Les Purce, 2015 (16271589109) (cropped).jpg

|caption=Purce in 2015

| office = 5th President of Evergreen State College

| term_start = July 1, 2000

| term_end = October 1, 2015

| predecessor = Jane L. Jervis

| successor = George Sumner Bridges

| office1 = Director of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare

| term_start1 = 1977

| term_end1 = 1987

| governor1 = John Evans

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 =

| office2 = Mayor of Pocatello

| term_start2 = 1976

| term_end2 = 1977

| predecessor2 = Chuck Billmeyer

| successor2 = Donna Boe

| office3 = Member of Pocatello City Council

| term_start3 = 1973

| term_end3 = 1976

| birth_place = Pocatello, Idaho, U.S.

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|11|13}}

|birth_name=Thomas Leslie Purce

| education =

}}

Thomas Leslie Purce (born November 13, 1946) is an American politician, conservationist, and university administrator who served as president of Evergreen State College from July 2000 through October 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Purce served as Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare under governor John Evans from 1977 to 1987. In 1973, Purce was elected to the Pocatello City Council, becoming the first African-American to be elected to public office in Idaho.

Early life and education

Thomas L. Purce was born in 1946 in Pocatello, Idaho.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinamerica0000unse_n2f1/mode/2up |title=Who's Who in American Politics, 1975-1976 |date=1975 |publisher=R. R. Bowker Company |isbn=978-0-8352-0827-7 |edition=5th |pages=756}} His grandfather was Tracey Thompson, a well known rodeo performer in the state.{{cite web |title=THOMAS L. PURCE (1946- ) |url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/purce-thomas-l-1946/ |website=Blackpast |date=November 15, 2010 |access-date=December 14, 2024}}{{Cite web |last=White |first=Vera |date=July 13, 1999 |title=Image is everything; WSU official says Idaho needs to dispel Aryan Nations' identity |url=https://www.dnews.com/local-news-northwest/image-is-everything-wsu-official-says-idaho-needs-to-dispel-aryan-nations-identity-de449848 |access-date=January 10, 2025 |website=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |language=en}} After graduating high school, Purce attended and graduated from Idaho State University, where he would later work as an assistant to university president William E. Davis.{{cite news |title=Dr. Les Purce: Politician, businessman, and everything in between |url=https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/black-history/dr-les-purce-idaho-black-history/277-8b083941-91f6-4820-aa6e-bda13ded2cfc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204175914/https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/black-history/dr-les-purce-idaho-black-history/277-8b083941-91f6-4820-aa6e-bda13ded2cfc |archive-date=February 4, 2022 |date=February 23, 2021 |access-date=December 14, 2024 |agency=KTVB}}

Political career

Purce started his political career in 1973, when Purce ran for membership on the Pocatello city council. Upon his election, he was the first African-American to be elected in the State of Idaho.{{cite web |title=A Timeline of Black History in Idaho |url=https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2016/standingcommittees/160201_ssta_0800AM_Attachment_2.pdf |website=Idaho Legislature |access-date=December 14, 2024}} After three years of serving as a member of the city council, he would run to become Mayor of Pocatello, and would go on to be successfully elected.{{cite web |title=Former Pocatello Mayor Discusses Public And Private Service |url=https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/show/idaho-matters/2018-05-15/former-pocatello-mayor-discusses-public-and-private-service |website=Boise State Public Radio |access-date=December 14, 2024}}{{cite news |title=Pocatello Official Becomes Idaho's First Black Mayor |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/01/03/archives/pocatello-official-becomes-idahos-first-black-mayor.html |access-date=December 14, 2024 |agency=New York Times |date=January 3, 1976}}

After serving as Mayor for a year, he was appointed by Idaho governor John Evans in 1977 to serve as director of the Department of Health and Welfare,{{cite web |title=HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2015-4630 |url=https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2015-16/pdf/bills/House%20Resolutions/4630-Dr.%20Thomas%20L.%20'Les'%20Purce.pdf |website=Washington Legistlature |access-date=December 14, 2024}} an office he held for ten years.{{cite web |title=Celebrating Idaho's Black history: Dr. Thomas Les Purce and his work in conservation |url=https://www.idahoconservation.org/blog/celebrating-idahos-black-history-dr-thomas-les-purce-and-his-work-in-conservation/ |website=Idaho Conservation |access-date=August 21, 2024}}

University administration

In 2000, Purce was appointed as president of Evergreen State College.{{cite web |title=Past Presidents |url=https://www.evergreen.edu/about/leadership/office-president/past-presidents |website=Evergreen State College |access-date=August 21, 2024}} Prior to his appointment, he was the vice-president of Washington State University, and had already served as a senior executive at Evergreen State College from 1985 to 1995.{{cite news |title=WSU's Les Purce Named President of Evergreen State College |url=https://news.wsu.edu/news/2000/03/08/wsus-les-purce-named-president-of-evergreen-state-college/ |access-date=December 15, 2024 |agency=WSU Insider |date=March 8, 2000}} During his presidency at Evergreen, he expanded the colleges admissions programs,{{cite news |last1=Pemberton |first1=Lisa |title=Les Purce prepares to leave long legacy at Evergreen |url=https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/education/article26133727.html |access-date=December 15, 2024 |agency=The Olympian |date=May 24, 2015}} and served as chair of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics council of presidents.{{cite web |title=Evergreen's Les Purce Named Chair-Elect of NAIA COP |url=https://cascadeconference.org/news/2010/9/30/GEN_0930101003.aspx?path=gen |website=Cascade Conference |access-date=December 15, 2024}} In 2015, Purce resigned from his presidency at Evergreen.{{cite web |title=Dr. Les Purce To Step Down As Evergreen (Wash.) President in 2015 |url=https://www.naia.org/membership/2013-14/releases/20140416aoveb |website=NAIA |date=April 16, 2014 |access-date=December 15, 2024}}

Conservationism

Since 2021, Purce has been active in preservation efforts of orcas in Puget Sound, serving as co-chair of the southern resident orca task force.{{cite web |title=Governor Inslee Appoints Dr. Thomas L. Purce to the Council |url=https://www.nwcouncil.org/news/2023/04/27/governor-inslee-appoints-dr-thomas-l-purce-to-the-council/ |website=Northwest Power and Conservation Council |access-date=December 15, 2024}}{{cite web |title=LEADING THE ORCA RECOVERY TASK FORCE: LES PURCE |url=https://www.wearepugetsound.org/blog/leading-the-orca-recovery-task-force-les-purce |website=We Are Puget Sound |date=February 24, 2021 |access-date=December 15, 2024}} In 2023, Washington Governor Jay Inslee appointed Purce to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

Purce is a critic of damming on the Lower Snake River.{{cite news |last=Purce |first=Thomas Les |title=Dr. Thomas L. (Les) Purce: Making ourselves whole by breaching the Lower Snake River Dams |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jul/02/dr-thomas-l-les-purce-making-ourselves-whole-by-br/ |website=The Spokesman-Review |access-date=December 15, 2024}}