In Memoriam: Ed Leede

Ed Leede, who played two season for the Boston Celtics after a stellar career at Dartmouth, died earlier this week.


Biography

Obituary

On February 24, 2018, Edward H. Leede passed away peacefully in Denver surrounded by his wife of 62 years, Margaret, his children, grandchildren and other loved ones. Leede distinguished himself in every respect throughout his college and professional career, including service with the United States Marine Corps. He earned a degree in chemistry from Dartmouth College in 1949 while starring for the basketball team, becoming the first Dartmouth player to score 1,000 points in a career. Leede held the Dartmouth scoring record with 1,331 points for more than two decades, serving as captain of the team as a senior and earning all-league honors in the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League each of his four years on the team. From 1949 to 1951, Leede played two seasons with the Boston Celtics, during which time he scored nearly 1,000 points and, importantly, earned enough money to enter the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. After completing his MBA in 1953, Leede joined White Eagle Oil Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1956, Leede moved to Midland, Texas and became an independent oilman in 1959. His successful career in the oil and gas business evolved to include business interests in a variety of industry sectors, including oil and gas, oilfield services, real estate, IT and e-commerce. While in Midland, Leede served on the Board of Directors of the Midland National Bank for many years and was a competitive tennis player at the Midland Racquet Club. In 1988, Leede moved to Denver where he served on the Board of Directors of the Denver Art Museum for many years and became a regular golfer as a member of the Castle Pines Golf Club and The Country Club at Castle Pines. He was an avid swimmer his entire life. Leede's service to Dartmouth College included serving as Vice-Chairman for major gifts in the Campaign for Dartmouth, a four-year term on the Dartmouth College Athletic Council, and Gift Chairman for a class reunion. In 1985, he and his wife, Margaret, established the Margaret Anne and Edward Leede 1949 Distinguished Professorship. In 1987, Dartmouth recognized Leede for his many contributions to the College by naming the Dartmouth basketball Leede Arena in his honor. In 2017, he was selected to be a member of the 16-member inaugural class of the "Legends of Ivy League Basketball." Leede was a long-standing supporter of The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the nation's oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships for military children. Leede is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margaret, along with 5 children, 10 grandchildren and many other loving family members. The family will honor his legacy with a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made to The Marine Corps Scholarship