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James Chowning Leake Sr.

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James Chowning Leake Sr.

Birth
Chandler, Lincoln County, Oklahoma, USA
Death
3 Jul 2001 (aged 85)
Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, USA
Burial
Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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James C. Leake (1915-2001) was born on a farm near Chandler, Oklahoma, homesteaded by his grandfather in 1891 when the Federal Government opened the Pottawatomie, Sac and Fox lands to white settlement. Upon graduation from Chandler High School, he entered the University of Oklahoma, where he met and later married Marjory Griffin. After a period of time in Dallas, Texas, where Leake oversaw Griffin Food Company's Texas operations, he and Marjorie moved back to Muskogee, where Mr. Leake lived all of his life.

Mr. Leake's business career spanned 60 years in the wholesale grocery business, peanut-manufacturing business, and as owner and operator of various radio and television broadcast properties, antique car museums, antique furniture galleries, restaurant operations, airport operations and collector car auctions. His business ventures took him all over the world and he made the most of every opportunity to promote his native state and its bountiful resources.
Mr. Leake's honors and appointments are too numerous to recite but include the following: Chairman Director Emeritus, Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, OK; Chairman, Will Rogers Memorial Commission, Claremore, OK; Chairman and Founder, Green Country, OK; and Recipient, Distinguished Service to State Government Award by the National Governor's Association

Mr. Leake was instrumental in the development and promotion of Oklahoma's water resources including the McClellan Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. As the owner of radio and television broadcast operations, which included KTUL in Tulsa, KWTV in Oklahoma City and KRTV in Little Rock, Leake played a key role in the passage of bond issues that financed the construction of the Port of Muskogee and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. Mr. Leake and Arkansas Governor Rockefeller flew over the waterway and produced a promotional film which was used to document and promote the transformation of Oklahoma from a dust bowl state to what it is today - the state with more shoreline than any other in the nation.

Mr. Leake's strong beliefs, determination, and unselfish contributions as Chairman of the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce and later Chairman of the Muskogee City-County Port Authority were important in the development and success of the Port of Muskogee. If Mr. Leake were alive today, it's a safe bet that he would take great pleasure in seeing one of his dreams, a recreational development on the Arkansas River at Muskogee (Three Forks Harbor) finally become reality.
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Daily Oklahoman
LEAKE James Chowning Leake, Sr., a pioneer Oklahoman, died on Tuesday, July 3, 2001 in Tulsa. The son of James A. and Elizabeth Chowning Leake, was born November 1, 1915 in Chandler, OK. Mr. Leake was the son of pioneering Oklahomans, who homesteaded in the land run of 1872 in the Sac Fox Lands. Mr. Leake's paternal family was from Illinois and immigrated from Oldham England in 1840. His maternal family was from Tennessee and immigrated by ox cart for the Oklahoma Land Run. In fact, at the time of his death, Mr. Leake still had his grandmother's Reed organ which came to Oklahoma in the back of that ox cart. Mr. Leake was educated by his mother at Stone School, a 1st through 8th grade one-room school house in Chandler, OK. He attended high school in Chandler and Davenport and was educated at the University of Oklahoma. While at the University of Oklahoma, he was equipment manager, played trombone, as well as president of the band. Some of the trees at the University of Oklahoma were planted by Mr. Leake on the WPA program of the 1930's. James C. Leake married Marjory Griffin, the love of his life, on September 10, 1940 and began their life together, as well as his business career in Dallas, TX. They returned to Muskogee, OK, when Marjory's father, J. T. Griffin became ill. Mr. Leake remained a lifelong resident of Muskogee. Mr. Leake had four children, James C. Leake, Jr., John Griffin Leake, Jean Leake and Nancy Leake Sevenoaks. Mr. Leake was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Marjory, and his son, John Griffin Leake and daughter, Jean Leake. He is survived by two children, James C. Leake Jr. and Nancy Leake Sevenoaks, as well as eight grandchildren. The Griffin and Leake families were pioneers in many businesses. Mr. Leake's career has spanned 60 years in the wholesale grocery business, peanut manufacturing business, and as owner and operators of various radio and television broadcast properties, antique car museum, antique furniture gallery, restaurant operations, airport operations, and collector car auctions. Mr. Leake was the owner of radio and television broadcast operations, which included KTUL in Tulsa, KWTV in Oklahoma City and KATV in Little Rock. Mr. Leake was a true Oklahoma pioneer in every sense of the word, as his family came to Oklahoma before it was a state, along with Mr. Griffin's family who came here prior to Statehood. Mr. Leake was involved in every possible civic organization within the State of Oklahoma, the City of Tulsa and the City of Muskogee. He was on the Water Resources Board, where he pioneered water conservation in Oklahoma, and he has been on numerous national boards, serving as the Chairman of the Affiliates Group for ABC Television, Chairman of the Will Rogers Memorial Commission, President of the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Muskogee City/County Port Authority, Chairman of Gilcrease Museum, Chairman and Founder of Green Country of Oklahoma, and recipient of numerous honors and awards including induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Mr. Leake was most noted internationally as an expert in the collecting of classic and antique automobiles. He was known throughout the world as one of the foremost experts on Rolls Royce automobiles, and owned the largest and finest private collection of Rolls Royce cars ever put together. He toured Europe, the United States and other countries with his automobiles and made many friends from all over the world. He was a tireless exponent of Oklahoma, and was instrumental in forming the tourism group, Green Country, which has been a model for the rest of the United States, as well as a driving force for tourism in Oklahoma. Those who knew Mr. Leake knew his lust and joy for life was boundless, and he, like Will Rogers, on whose commission he served for 25 years, never met a stranger. He loved people as he loved life and he loved the state of Oklahoma. He was proud of Oklahoma and proud of his family and was proud to have left Oklahoma better for him having been here. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to St. Paul United Methodist Church, Muskogee, OK, for the James C. Leake Memorial Fund. Reverend Kevin Tulley will officiate the memorial service for James Chowning Leake, Sr. on Monday, July 9, 2001 at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Muskogee, OK. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Rich Atwell, Camp Bonds, Sr., David Boren, Peter Duncan, Mac Durnil, M.A. "Ike" Eichorn, Tommy Goodgame, Barry Honn, Dr. Bart Kent, Dean Kruse, Jack Morris, Dale Nicholson, Mike Norman, Mike Rafter, Bill Rea, Scott Robinson, Gary Rogers, Martin "Sandy" Sandberg, Alonzo "Slick" Smith, Harold Stuart, Wayne Tatum and John Wilson. The family has entrusted Bradley Family Funeral Service with the arrangements.
James C. Leake (1915-2001) was born on a farm near Chandler, Oklahoma, homesteaded by his grandfather in 1891 when the Federal Government opened the Pottawatomie, Sac and Fox lands to white settlement. Upon graduation from Chandler High School, he entered the University of Oklahoma, where he met and later married Marjory Griffin. After a period of time in Dallas, Texas, where Leake oversaw Griffin Food Company's Texas operations, he and Marjorie moved back to Muskogee, where Mr. Leake lived all of his life.

Mr. Leake's business career spanned 60 years in the wholesale grocery business, peanut-manufacturing business, and as owner and operator of various radio and television broadcast properties, antique car museums, antique furniture galleries, restaurant operations, airport operations and collector car auctions. His business ventures took him all over the world and he made the most of every opportunity to promote his native state and its bountiful resources.
Mr. Leake's honors and appointments are too numerous to recite but include the following: Chairman Director Emeritus, Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, OK; Chairman, Will Rogers Memorial Commission, Claremore, OK; Chairman and Founder, Green Country, OK; and Recipient, Distinguished Service to State Government Award by the National Governor's Association

Mr. Leake was instrumental in the development and promotion of Oklahoma's water resources including the McClellan Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. As the owner of radio and television broadcast operations, which included KTUL in Tulsa, KWTV in Oklahoma City and KRTV in Little Rock, Leake played a key role in the passage of bond issues that financed the construction of the Port of Muskogee and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. Mr. Leake and Arkansas Governor Rockefeller flew over the waterway and produced a promotional film which was used to document and promote the transformation of Oklahoma from a dust bowl state to what it is today - the state with more shoreline than any other in the nation.

Mr. Leake's strong beliefs, determination, and unselfish contributions as Chairman of the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce and later Chairman of the Muskogee City-County Port Authority were important in the development and success of the Port of Muskogee. If Mr. Leake were alive today, it's a safe bet that he would take great pleasure in seeing one of his dreams, a recreational development on the Arkansas River at Muskogee (Three Forks Harbor) finally become reality.
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Daily Oklahoman
LEAKE James Chowning Leake, Sr., a pioneer Oklahoman, died on Tuesday, July 3, 2001 in Tulsa. The son of James A. and Elizabeth Chowning Leake, was born November 1, 1915 in Chandler, OK. Mr. Leake was the son of pioneering Oklahomans, who homesteaded in the land run of 1872 in the Sac Fox Lands. Mr. Leake's paternal family was from Illinois and immigrated from Oldham England in 1840. His maternal family was from Tennessee and immigrated by ox cart for the Oklahoma Land Run. In fact, at the time of his death, Mr. Leake still had his grandmother's Reed organ which came to Oklahoma in the back of that ox cart. Mr. Leake was educated by his mother at Stone School, a 1st through 8th grade one-room school house in Chandler, OK. He attended high school in Chandler and Davenport and was educated at the University of Oklahoma. While at the University of Oklahoma, he was equipment manager, played trombone, as well as president of the band. Some of the trees at the University of Oklahoma were planted by Mr. Leake on the WPA program of the 1930's. James C. Leake married Marjory Griffin, the love of his life, on September 10, 1940 and began their life together, as well as his business career in Dallas, TX. They returned to Muskogee, OK, when Marjory's father, J. T. Griffin became ill. Mr. Leake remained a lifelong resident of Muskogee. Mr. Leake had four children, James C. Leake, Jr., John Griffin Leake, Jean Leake and Nancy Leake Sevenoaks. Mr. Leake was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Marjory, and his son, John Griffin Leake and daughter, Jean Leake. He is survived by two children, James C. Leake Jr. and Nancy Leake Sevenoaks, as well as eight grandchildren. The Griffin and Leake families were pioneers in many businesses. Mr. Leake's career has spanned 60 years in the wholesale grocery business, peanut manufacturing business, and as owner and operators of various radio and television broadcast properties, antique car museum, antique furniture gallery, restaurant operations, airport operations, and collector car auctions. Mr. Leake was the owner of radio and television broadcast operations, which included KTUL in Tulsa, KWTV in Oklahoma City and KATV in Little Rock. Mr. Leake was a true Oklahoma pioneer in every sense of the word, as his family came to Oklahoma before it was a state, along with Mr. Griffin's family who came here prior to Statehood. Mr. Leake was involved in every possible civic organization within the State of Oklahoma, the City of Tulsa and the City of Muskogee. He was on the Water Resources Board, where he pioneered water conservation in Oklahoma, and he has been on numerous national boards, serving as the Chairman of the Affiliates Group for ABC Television, Chairman of the Will Rogers Memorial Commission, President of the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Muskogee City/County Port Authority, Chairman of Gilcrease Museum, Chairman and Founder of Green Country of Oklahoma, and recipient of numerous honors and awards including induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Mr. Leake was most noted internationally as an expert in the collecting of classic and antique automobiles. He was known throughout the world as one of the foremost experts on Rolls Royce automobiles, and owned the largest and finest private collection of Rolls Royce cars ever put together. He toured Europe, the United States and other countries with his automobiles and made many friends from all over the world. He was a tireless exponent of Oklahoma, and was instrumental in forming the tourism group, Green Country, which has been a model for the rest of the United States, as well as a driving force for tourism in Oklahoma. Those who knew Mr. Leake knew his lust and joy for life was boundless, and he, like Will Rogers, on whose commission he served for 25 years, never met a stranger. He loved people as he loved life and he loved the state of Oklahoma. He was proud of Oklahoma and proud of his family and was proud to have left Oklahoma better for him having been here. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to St. Paul United Methodist Church, Muskogee, OK, for the James C. Leake Memorial Fund. Reverend Kevin Tulley will officiate the memorial service for James Chowning Leake, Sr. on Monday, July 9, 2001 at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Muskogee, OK. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Rich Atwell, Camp Bonds, Sr., David Boren, Peter Duncan, Mac Durnil, M.A. "Ike" Eichorn, Tommy Goodgame, Barry Honn, Dr. Bart Kent, Dean Kruse, Jack Morris, Dale Nicholson, Mike Norman, Mike Rafter, Bill Rea, Scott Robinson, Gary Rogers, Martin "Sandy" Sandberg, Alonzo "Slick" Smith, Harold Stuart, Wayne Tatum and John Wilson. The family has entrusted Bradley Family Funeral Service with the arrangements.


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