Dallas Morning News writer speaks to Cedar Creek Lake Women's Club
Mar. 17—CEDAR CREEK LAKE — The Cedar Creek Lake Women's Club welcomed columnist and author Dave Lieber as the featured speaker for their Feb. 28 meeting at the Cedar Creek Country Club.
Lieber, a journalist for the Dallas Morning News and author of nine books and several plays, is also a well-known volunteer and founded "Summer Santa" to help Dallas children.
"My speech today is not about the Perots and their money. It's about love," Lieber began and told about finding his own love at a Women's Club Fashion Show and proposing to her through his column for the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
He told a story that began in 1957 with Ross Perot Sr. and his wife, with everything they owned in a Plymouth, driving to his new job at IBM. His family slogan was "Buddies to the end." Lieber told the group of a helicopter ride he once took with Ross Perot Jr. and asked him what it was like to be the son of a presidential candidate who was a billionaire to which he replied, "I saw the American Dream unfold right there in my living room."
He said Perot took a $1,000 investment and turned into $7.4 billion dollars. Perot started Electronic Data Systems and sold the company to General Motors. He and his son started another company Perot," Systems and sold that to Dell. "And of course, there's also Alliance Airport," Lieber said. "But to be fair, his real story is about values, family, heritage and love."
Perot grew up in a house filled with love and his father was his best friend. He taught him everything about business and his mother taught him how to care about people. Lieber tells the story of a man with high ethical standards and a strong work ethic who learned business principles from his father and applied them to all his dealings.
Lieber told the story of a time when EDS workers were in Iran to put in a Social Security System. The Shah was out and the Ayatollah was flying in to take over and two of his men were put into an Iranian prison. Perot left a skiing trip and called In ten of his top former military employees to perform a rescue mission. They all flew to Tehran and Perot went to see them in the prison. Perot pulled of what was considered impossible when he was successful getting his men out. Several months later, 52 American hostages were taken and held for 444 days as the American Government tried to free them.
Lieber said Perot had a lighter side and was known for practical jokes. He invested in people and took great care of his employees. His son said of his father, "He comes to work every day and tries to figure out how to help people."
