Les Purce

Thomas L. Purce was born in 1946 in Pocatello, Idaho.^[1][2] His grandfather was Tracey Thompson, a well known rodeo performer in the state.^[1][3] 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.^[4]

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.^[4][5][6] 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.^[7][8]

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,^[6] an office he held for ten years.^[9]

In 2000, Purce was appointed as president of Evergreen State College.^[10] 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.^[11] During his presidency at Evergreen, he expanded the colleges admissions programs,^[12] and served as chair of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics council of presidents.^[13] In 2015, Purce resigned from his presidency at Evergreen.^[14]

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.^[15][16] In 2023, Washington Governor Jay Inslee appointed Purce to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.^[15]

Purce is a critic of damming on the Lower Snake River.^[17]

• List of mayors of Pocatello, Idaho
• List of first African-American mayors