Sons of the American Revolution

Texas Society

Perot Gold Good Citizenship Medal Application

The following text is taken directly from the Nomination for Gold Good Citizenship Medal of the Sons of the American Revolution Application:

A brief biographical sketch is as follows:
H. Ross Perot was born on June 27, 1930, in Texarkana, TX to Ross and Lulu May Perot.  Beginning at age seven, Mr. Perot worked at various jobs throughout his boyhood, including breaking horses, selling Christmas cards, magazines, and garden seeds, buying and selling bridles, saddles, horses and calves, delivering newspapers, and collecting for classified ads.

Mr. Perot entered the United States Navel Academy in 1949 and graduated in 1953.  While at the Naval Academy, he served as class president, chairman of the honor committee, and battalion commander.  Following graduation, LTJG Perot served at sea for four years on a destroyer and an aircraft carrier.

In 1956 Mr. Perot married Margot Birmingham from Greensburg, PA, whom he met while a midshipman at the Navel Academy.  Ross and Margot have been married forty nine years; they have five children and nine grandchildren.

He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1957, settled in Dallas and went to work for IBM's data processing division as a salesman and Margot taught school.  In 1962 she loaned Mr. Perot $1,000 from her savings account to start a one-man data processing company.  He named the company Electronic Data Systems.  Today, EDS is multi-billion dollar company employing thousands of people.

In 1969, the U.S. government asked Mr. Perot to determine what action might be taken to improve the brutal treatment our POW's were receiving in Southeast Asia.  He worked on this project for four years, placing himself and his family at considerable risk, until the prisoners were released in 1972.  In recognition of his efforts Mr. Perot received the Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the highest civilian award presented by the Department of Defense.

Two EDS employees were taken hostage by the Iranian government in 1979.  Mr. Perot directed a successful rescue mission composed of EDS employees and led by Colonel Arthur "Bull" Simons.  Perot personally went into Iran and inside the prison where his associates were held.

Noted author Ken Follet, wrote a best selling novel, On Wings of Eagles, about the rescue.  An NBC TV miniseries was also produced about this event.

Later in 1979 the governor of Texas requested Perot's help in dealing with the growing drug problem in Texas.  Mr. Perot led the Texans' War on Drugs Committee that proposed five laws that make Texas the least desirable state for illegal drug operations.  All five bills became law.

In 1982, another Texas governor asked Mr. Perot's assistance to improve the deteriorating quality of Texas' public education.  Mr. Perot led an effort to reform the school system which resulted in major legislative changes and improvements in Texas public schools.

In 1984, Mr. Perot sold EDS to General Motors for $2.5 billion and became the largest individual stockholder and a GM board member.  As a result of disagreements with the GM board Mr. Perot resigned from the board.

In 1984 Mr. Perot purchased the only copy of the Magna Carta that has been allowed to be taken out of Great Britain.  It has been placed on loan to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., where it is displayed along side the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

In 1988 Mr. Perot and eight business associates founded Perot Systems which had revenue of $1.3 billion in 2002.

Mr. Perot has been a long standing friend of military personnel, particularly those wounded in the line of duty.  Some of his contributions are:

• When Viet Nam POW Capt. Jerry Singleton was released in 1973 Mr. Perot made sure his wife and son were the first to greet him.
• In 1973 he organized a parade in San Francisco to honor those who attempted the Son Tay prison rescue in North Vietnam.
• After the Vietnam War, Mr. Perot personally helped scores of returning veterans to find jobs, get psychological and medical care, and he often underwrote reunions for various units.
• Gave special prominence to Vietnam veterans in a 1991 parade in Dallas honoring Desert Storm veterans.
• In the early 1990's Persian Gulf veterans were suffering from a debilitating illness that the military could not diagnose and refused to treat.  Mr. Perot footed the bill for the expensive investigation by doctors at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School to learn about the disease and to study ways to treat it.  Mr. Perot flew those suffering from ALS to Dallas for treatment.
• Arranged for a nine foot statue of retiring USAF Gen. Robinson "Robby" Riser, a former North Vietnam POW, at the Air Force Academy in 2001.

Awards and Honors:

• The Winston Churchill Award (presented by Prince Charles in 1986; third recipient and first businessman to receive the reward; given for exhibiting character similar to that of the late British prime minister).
• The Raul Wallenberg Award (first recipient; given for lifetime service reminiscent of that of the Swedish diplomat who saved more than 100,000 Hungarian Jews from the Nazis during WWII).
• The Jefferson Award for Public Service.
• The Patrick Henry Award (first recipient; given to U.S. Citizen for outstanding service to the country).
• The National Business Hall of Fame Award.
• The Samoff Award (for contributions to the electronics industry).
• The Eisenhower Award (for support of the U.S. Armed Forces).
• The Smithsonian Computerworld Award (first recipient; given for contributions to the computer industry).
• The Horatio Alger Award (given for overcoming obstacles to achieve significant career success).
• Medal for Distinguished Public Service (highest civilian award presented by the Department of Defense; given for his efforts supporting U.S. prisoners of war.