Howard H. Leach
Encyclopedia
Howard H. Leach was United States Ambassador to France
from 2001 to 2005. Born in Salinas, California
, on June 19, 1930, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Yale University
in 1952. Ambassador Leach studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business
in 1953 and at Stanford Advanced Management College in 1968.
A businessman and private investor, Howard Leach began a long entrepreneurial career as co-founder and president of various food-processing corporations from 1958 to 1971 in his hometown of Salinas, California. From 1995 to 2000 he was president and often major shareholder of numerous businesses: Tejon Ranch Company, Royal Packing Company, Merit Packing Co., Larson Cooling Co., Cypress Farms Inc., Charles G. Watts Inc., and Union Ice Company in California; Sterling Inc. in Wisconsin
; Kestrel Dental Corp. in Illinois
; and Sybron Corporation in New York
. Ambassador Leach was an early limited partner in Forstmann Little and Co. in New York.
Until entering his post as U.S. Ambassador to France, Mr. Leach was the president of several commercial and financial companies: Foley Timber and Land Company in Florida
; Leach Capital and Leach McMicking & Co. in California; and Hunter Fan Co. in Tennessee
. Ambassador Leach was directly involved in managing a number of public interest associations, such as the National Legal Research Center for the Public Interest in Washington and the Pacific Research Institute
in San Francisco
. Member and former chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of California, he was also vice president of the San Francisco Opera Association.
As Ambassador, Mr. Leach was rated highly by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of State
. A 2005 report by the OIG stated that he demonstrated "a solid knowledge of issues across the spectrum of both policy and management priorities at the embassy".
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from 2001 to 2005. Born in Salinas, California
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
, on June 19, 1930, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1952. Ambassador Leach studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford Graduate School of Business
The Stanford Graduate School of Business is one of the professional schools of Stanford University, in Stanford, California and is broadly regarded as one of the best business schools in the world.The Stanford GSB offers a general management Master of Business Administration degree, the Sloan...
in 1953 and at Stanford Advanced Management College in 1968.
A businessman and private investor, Howard Leach began a long entrepreneurial career as co-founder and president of various food-processing corporations from 1958 to 1971 in his hometown of Salinas, California. From 1995 to 2000 he was president and often major shareholder of numerous businesses: Tejon Ranch Company, Royal Packing Company, Merit Packing Co., Larson Cooling Co., Cypress Farms Inc., Charles G. Watts Inc., and Union Ice Company in California; Sterling Inc. in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
; Kestrel Dental Corp. in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
; and Sybron Corporation in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Ambassador Leach was an early limited partner in Forstmann Little and Co. in New York.
Until entering his post as U.S. Ambassador to France, Mr. Leach was the president of several commercial and financial companies: Foley Timber and Land Company in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
; Leach Capital and Leach McMicking & Co. in California; and Hunter Fan Co. in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Ambassador Leach was directly involved in managing a number of public interest associations, such as the National Legal Research Center for the Public Interest in Washington and the Pacific Research Institute
Pacific Research Institute
The Pacific Research Institute , or officially the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, is a California-based free-market think tank founded in 1979 whose stated vision is the promotion of "the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility"...
in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Member and former chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of California, he was also vice president of the San Francisco Opera Association.
As Ambassador, Mr. Leach was rated highly by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of State
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of State
is an independent office within the U.S. Department of State with a primary responsibility to prevent and detect waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement...
. A 2005 report by the OIG stated that he demonstrated "a solid knowledge of issues across the spectrum of both policy and management priorities at the embassy".