A Croatian inventor born in Split, who began working with minerals after moving to America to live with his uncle. He later Americanized his name to Anthony Lucas.

With the rise of oil use, he became involved in oil research and drilling in Texas. He invented the rotary drill bit for oil drilling — until then, oil had been extracted by digging and collecting — a breakthrough that completely transformed oil extraction worldwide. This drilling method is still used today. Even John Davison Rockefeller admitted that the only mistake in his business career was refusing to buy the drilling sites from Lučić and Mellon, believing there was no oil in Texas.

Ante Lučić was selected as one of the 100 most important Americans for his contributions to the United States. In his honor, the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers awards the Anthony Lucas Medal to outstanding contributors.