William Max Lucas was born in Lamar, Missouri in 1934, the son of William Max, Sr. and Margaret (Jones) Lucas. He attended the University of Kansas and received his bachelor's degree in architectural engineering in 1957, and his master's in the same field in 1962. In between he was on active duty in the United States Navy, joining the Reserves in 1960 and retiring as a captain in 1985. Lucas received his doctorate in engineering from Oklahoma State University - Stillwater in the early 1970s, and proceeded to become a professor at the Univerity of Kansas soon thereafter.

Lucas was heavily involved in administration at KU, serving as an assistant to chancellor Archie Dykes from 1974 to 1976, director of KU's Facilities and Planning Department from 1976 to 1978, and dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Design from 1981 to 1994. He was also active in the KU Alumni Association, serving at one time as president of the Endacott Society.

William Max Lucas passed away in his home on September 4th, 2015, at 81 years of age.