Gilbert Lea
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Lea was an American football
player, advertising executive and publisher.
, and grew up in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
. His father was Langdon "Biffy" Lea
, one of the greatest football players in the history of Princeton University
-- a three time consensus All-American tackle
who went on to be a head football coach at Princeton and the University of Michigan
. A history of Princeton football notes that Gilbert Lea was a "tiger from birth," as his father raised him to play football "as he had ... all out."
Lea attended St. Paul's School
, a private preparatory school in Concord, New Hampshire
. At St. Paul's Lea was captain of the football team and received the Gordon Medal as the school's best all-around athlete. Lea next enrolled at Princeton University
. Following in his father's footsteps, Lea became a star of the Princeton football teams from 1933-1935. He played at the end position for Princeton teams coached by College Football Hall of Fame
r Fritz Crisler
. Crisler's teams, with Lea at end, were ranked No. 1 in the nation in both 1933 and 1935. In 1935, Lea was a consensus second-team All-American, including spots on the All-American teams selected by the Associated Press
and the New York Sun.
During World War II, Lea served in the U.S. Army as an artillery instructor at Fort Sill
, Oklahoma and then with the 13th Armored Division. He was later sent to Europe as a battalion commander of an armored artillery unit attached to the Third Army commanded by General George Patton.
After World War II, Lea worked in the publishing and advertising business for most of his life, for Time
magazine (1936–1948), Business Week, McGraw-Hill
, and McCall's
magazine. From 1957 to 1967, Lea worked at Ogilvy & Mather
as vice president in charge of new business. In 1967, Lea purchased the Tower Publishing Company of Portland, Maine
, which he operated until 1982. Lea moved to Vero Beach, Florida
in 1982. He died in Vero Beach at age 95 in 2008.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, advertising executive and publisher.
Biography
Lea was born in Bala Cynwyd, PennsylvaniaBala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 . It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community...
, and grew up in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania is a suburban community located outside of Philadelphia in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania and Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Wynnewood was named in 1691 for Dr. Thomas Wynne, William Penn's physician and the first Speaker of the Pennsylvania General...
. His father was Langdon "Biffy" Lea
Langdon Lea
-See also:* 1893 College Football All-America Team* 1894 College Football All-America Team* 1895 College Football All-America Team*List of Michigan Wolverines head football coaches-External links:*...
, one of the greatest football players in the history of Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
-- a three time consensus All-American tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
who went on to be a head football coach at Princeton and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. A history of Princeton football notes that Gilbert Lea was a "tiger from birth," as his father raised him to play football "as he had ... all out."
Lea attended St. Paul's School
St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)
St. Paul's School is a highly selective college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The school is one of only six remaining 100% residential boarding schools in the U.S. The New Hampshire campus currently serves 533 students,...
, a private preparatory school in Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
. At St. Paul's Lea was captain of the football team and received the Gordon Medal as the school's best all-around athlete. Lea next enrolled at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. Following in his father's footsteps, Lea became a star of the Princeton football teams from 1933-1935. He played at the end position for Princeton teams coached by College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
r Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
. Crisler's teams, with Lea at end, were ranked No. 1 in the nation in both 1933 and 1935. In 1935, Lea was a consensus second-team All-American, including spots on the All-American teams selected by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and the New York Sun.
During World War II, Lea served in the U.S. Army as an artillery instructor at Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Oklahoma and then with the 13th Armored Division. He was later sent to Europe as a battalion commander of an armored artillery unit attached to the Third Army commanded by General George Patton.
After World War II, Lea worked in the publishing and advertising business for most of his life, for Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine (1936–1948), Business Week, McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, education, publishing, broadcasting, and business services...
, and McCall's
McCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
magazine. From 1957 to 1967, Lea worked at Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is an international advertising, marketing and public relations agency based in Manhattan and owned by the WPP Group. The company operates 497 offices in 125 countries with approximately 16,000 employees.-History:...
as vice president in charge of new business. In 1967, Lea purchased the Tower Publishing Company of Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, which he operated until 1982. Lea moved to Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
in 1982. He died in Vero Beach at age 95 in 2008.