John Paul Lucas was born on January 25, 1885, in Wilson County, North Carolina. A longtime Charlotte resident, Lucas began his career in the newspaper profession, working for both the Charlotte Observer and the Winston-Salem Journal. During World War I, he was appointed and served as executive secretary of the North Carolina Food Conservation Commission under the United States Food Administration. Later in life, he was the merchandise manager for for the Duke Power Company. Lucas died in Charlotte on September 28, 1940.