By the early 20th century the Du Pont Company had become one of the world's major corporations, bringing enormous wealth to its owners and providing employment and other opportunities to their native state.

One of the three key owners of the company was T. Coleman du Pont, a capable, energetic and ambitious man, who was also Buck's father-in-law.

Du Pont had a vision of a superhighway running the length of Delaware, and the ambition, talent, and money to make it a reality.

Having failed to get such relief enacted by the Delaware General Assembly, on November 1, 1929, du Pont began mailing out personal checks of sixteen dollars to some eight hundred people.

After spending some $350,000 of his own money, du Pont, appointed by Buck as chairman of the Old Age Welfare Commission, persuaded the General Assembly to take over the program in late 1930.

As the economic situation continued to worsen, Buck called the General Assembly into session in November 1932 and also persuaded them to pass a $2 million emergency relief measure.

In doing so he was one of only two Republican governors elected that year, while Delaware was one of only six states voting to reelect U.S. President Herbert Hoover.

Buck continued to seek relief for the distressed state and in October 1933 called the General Assembly back into session to consider borrowing money from the Federal government.

Once it was clear the General Assembly would never reach agreement on this measure, Buck took the unprecedented step of adjourning their session.