Perot helped transform a once rural city into a globally recognized center for business
Plano is set to permanently commemorate the life and impact of Ross Perot, the business visionary whose work helped transform the city into a major economic hub.
The Plano City Council approved plans this week to install two monuments celebrating Perot’s legacy over the Dallas North Tollway.
Honoring A Local Legend
The initiative began as a community-led effort and later received support from a city council member. After coordinating with the Perot family, city officials finalized plans for two obelisk-style monuments to be placed on the north planter walls at either end of the Legacy Drive pedestrian bridge.
Each monument will feature a stone exterior, bronze plaques and a bronze eagle sculpture representing Perot’s values, with subtle architectural lighting highlighting the installation.
Perot’s Impact On Plano
Ross Perot, who passed away in 2019 at age 89, founded Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 1962 after working as a salesman for IBM. When Dallas denied zoning for the EDS expansion, Perot purchased 2,700 acres in Plano and envisioned a corporate center that would become the Legacy business park. Under his leadership, Legacy attracted major companies like Frito-Lay and JCPenney in the 1980s, cementing Plano’s reputation as a growing business hub.
Perot later founded Perot Systems in 1988, another Plano-based company that achieved billion-dollar valuation. The Plano headquarters for EDS, completed in 1992, became a cornerstone for the Legacy area, fueling the city’s rapid economic growth over subsequent decades.
Photo: Perot Family Archive
Perot’s impact extended beyond business. In 1992, he ran as an independent for U.S. president, focusing on the national debt, job outsourcing, and campaign reform. He earned significant popular support — 19% of the vote — but no electoral votes, influencing the election’s outcome. He ran again in 1996 under the Reform Party banner, securing about 8% of the vote.
A Lasting Tribute
“Ross Perot helped shape Plano into a city known for economic leadership and opportunity,” said Mayor John Muns in an official statement. “His vision, leadership and belief in this community transformed a once rural area into a globally recognized center for business and innovation. These monuments ensure that his legacy and contributions will always be honored and remembered in Plano.”
Construction is slated for completion in late spring, giving residents and visitors alike a new way to recognize Perot’s lasting influence on the city.
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