Thomas Bryant Buck III was born in Columbus, Georgia on March 2, 1938 to parents Violet Burrus Litchfield and Thomas B. Buck Jr. He graduated from Columbus High School in 1955 and received a bachelor’s degree in 1959 and a law degree in 1962 from Emory University in Atlanta. He was married to Susan Upchurch and had two boys, Leslie Litchfield, Sr. (1943-1995) and Randolph B. Buck, Sr. (1953-1995). Tom served thirty-eight years in the Georgia House of Representatives, one of the longest tenures of any lawmaker in state’s history. First elected in 1966 to fill the seat vacated by Representative Jack Brinkley, Buck’s tenure lasted nineteen terms in all. One of the first orders of business Tom voted on was the contentious election of Governor in 1967 between Democrat Lester Maddox and Republican Bo Callaway. Though Buck was a Democrat, he voted with his constituents in Muscogee County who mostly voted for Callaway.

A conservative Democrat, Buck was widely respected by colleagues for his expertise on state budget matters and his deep knowledge of tax law and policy. He worked closely with Calvin Smyre, one of the most powerful African Americans serving in the house.

In 2004, a court-ordered reapportionment of the General Assembly took place, which drastically changed the boundaries of his district. Tom Buck decided to retire as senior member of the house. His colleagues at the capital paid tribute to him by dressing in saddle oxford shoes, khaki pants, and blue blazers, a style, which Buck wore during his tenure. After retiring from the Assembly, Buck became a lobbyist for the Columbus city government and St. Francis Hospital.