A Tribute to Charles L. ‘Skip’ Huston
If you are reading this it is because of Charles L. ‘Skip’ Huston, III. For without Skip the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research and its education projects would not have been possible.
It was the mid-winter of 1993 that the late Al Paschall and I sat down for dinner, as we often did, to discuss how we would save the world. We knew that was a bit ambitious, but we wanted to do something to shape the future of our little piece of the planet.
At that time, the vast network of conservative public policy organizations that exist today was only beginning to take shape. We thought there was space for an organization that would promote pro-growth economic policies and defend traditional American values. The plan, sketched out on a napkin during that dinner, was to form an entity that would conduct public opinion research (there was relatively little polling done in those days) and implement a wide range of educational projects.
But where to begin?
We turned immediately to Skip Huston. Al and I knew Skip through other activities and highly valued his friendship and his innate ability to get things done. Skip was immediately enthusiastic and became a Founding Father of the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research which was chartered as a 501c3 nonprofit educational foundation in 1993. Skip served as a founding board member and served in that capacity for many years before becoming a Director Emeritus until his recent passing.
Skip’s character and gentle personality emerged at an early age. In 1953 his high school yearbook said of him: “With charm, poise, and generosity, Skip Huston has truly made himself beloved by his classmates . . . He fights not for himself, but for others – for what is right and what he believes.”
That never changed.
Charles L. “Skip” Huston, III passed away peacefully on January 18, 2025 at his home in Chester Springs with his family by his side. He was formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of the Huston Foundation, a charitable foundation created in 1957 by his father, Charles. L. Huston, Jr. and his aunt Miss Ruth Huston.
Prior to that, Skip was Vice President of Government Relations representing the Lukens Steel Company in Harrisburg and in Washington, D.C. He didn’t start as Vice President of the family company though as his first job was as a “Heat Observer” in the Lukens Steel mill in Coatesville. He worked hard at making the voice of the workers known to the company’s management team.
Skip’s obituary notes that he “became one of the most beloved members of the Lukens Steel family and Coatesville as a whole. You could not live or work in the western part of Chester County and not know of, or know personally, Skip Huston. His quiet acts of ingenuity, empathy, and generosity were legendary.”
The impact Skip had on the lives of untold thousands of individuals would fill a book. For a peek at that impact his obituary noted: “Whether he was the motivator behind the building of a new hospital in Coatesville (Brandywine Hospital) or the new offices for Lukens Steel, Skip never stopped thinking of his fellow man.”
Among the lasting legacies to Skip Huston is the National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum. Skip wanted to preserve the history and the impact of the steel industry. That led to the formation of the Graystone Museum Society of Coatesville on whose board of directors he sat.
His son, Scott Gardner Huston, is presently the president of the National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum which is a nonprofit educational institution whose mission is to promote an understanding of the iron and steel history of Coatesville by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting iron and steel’s history and its relationship to the region, nation, and beyond.
With all those accomplishments Skip would always say he was most proud of his children. “They have forged their way in the world modeling the family code of conduct and giving back to the community which has given them the most.”
To his wife Barbara, his children, grandchildren, and his two sisters we here at the Lincoln Institute offer our deepest condolences and wish to express our profound appreciation for sharing Skip with us.
Al Paschall once wrote a tribute which fits Skip perfectly: He has left shoes which cannot be filled. All we can do is hang them on the wall as a reminder of what we should all aspire to be.
(Lowman S. Henry is Chairman & CEO of the Lincoln Institute and host off the weekly Lincoln Radio Journal and American Radio Journal. His e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org.)
Permission to reprint is granted provided author and affiliation are cited.
