Attorney stands tall
When encouraged to lead, Travis Torrence found his voice advocating for others
Travis Torrence has had many inspirational moments in life. But the one that plays over and over in his head is an encounter with Maya Angelou.
Torrence met the late poet and author during her 2011 appearance in Houston. She was in her 80s, frail and in a wheelchair, and he knelt down to introduce himself.
“No, son, stand tall,” she told the 6-foot-5 Torrence. Angelou’s deep, earthy voice and words resonated with him. Her message wasn’t about his stature, but about his place in the world, Torrence said.
“Maya Angelou was the impetus of me blossoming in so many ways,” said Torrence, 39, who serves as head of Shell’s Global Litigation Bankruptcy & Credit Team. That next year, Torrence revealed to friends and colleagues that he was gay. He’s been with partner Heath LaPray, a nurse practitioner, for seven years.
“I’ve never talked about my gayness, but when you’re not out, you are constantly coming out. When I finally did, everything in my life got better because I was being true to myself.”
Born and raised in Kenner, La., a small town outside of New Orleans, Torrence was an only child in a large family of cousins. His mother, Carolyn Torrence, who died in 2000 from cancer, had nine siblings and worked as a high school math teacher. His father, Elzy Torrence, is a retired truck driver who still lives in the family’s home in Kenner.
Torrence studied communications and political science at Tulane University in New Orleans with hopes of becoming a TV anchor. His mother nudged him to pursue a different path.
“My parents always wanted a better life for me than they had,” he said. “My dad comes from a family of sharecroppers, and my mom finished college in three years because she couldn’t afford to go for four years. They didn’t want me to struggle.”
But it was hard not to feel like an outsider in college when he was one of a handful of African-American students in his class.
“My first day of college I was wearing my favorite outfit. I only wore Tommy Hilfiger then, and my mom came with me to orientation. No one sat near us. I didn’t know if it was because we were black, or poor, or both. That’s when I really felt my ‘otherness.’ ”
Torrence didn’t let that deter him and went on to become the president of Zeta Psi, a white fraternity. “I realized that we had more in common than different,” he said.
Torrence had planned to stay in New Orleans to attend law school, but a college dean encouraged him to consider Ivy League schools. So he applied to Harvard, Yale and Duke universities and got accepted to them all. He graduated from
Yale and went on to work as a judicial clerk, then an attorney at Norton Rose Fulbright, then Shell.
Torrence now spends his off time volunteering with arts organizations and nonprofits focused on helping children.
“I am the person I am today because my parents made sure I saw the ballet, Broadway shows and was exposed to sports, even when we didn’t have a lot. It opens up your perspective of the world.”
Torrence even put his dancing skills to the test for Urban Souls’ Dancing With the Houston Stars charity event in 2014. He won first place, dancing to a medley of Janet Jackson songs, and raised money for the dance company’s youthoutreach program.
Over the years, Torrence has shed his Tommy Hilfiger image and now prefers custom plaid and striped suits. His stature and style are a standout.
“My mom taught me you have to find your voice and you have to advocate for others. Part of communicating who you are is your style. You will see me, and you will hear me.”