William L. Leishman was always a man who thought big.
The lengthy and storied history of the Rose Bowl Game has been written by many people over the years, but none can make the claim that Leishman did.
He built the Rose Bowl stadium. Arguably the most impressive stadium in the United States. Or the world, for that matter. For his achievements, Leishman is one of five FBA Hall of Fame inductees for 2019
William Leishman served as President of the Tournament of Roses in 1920-21. By that time, the annual January 1 football game attracted crowds of 35,000.
Leishman foresaw something bigger than Tournament Park, which was quickly falling into disrepair. A majestic edifice that would put Pasadena, California on the map.
His son, Lathrop, told The New York Times' Peter Alfano in 1987 how the stadium came to be situated in what's now known as Arroyo Seco. "Father was a transplanted Easterner from Connecticut. He envisioned a new stadium, patterned after the Yale Bowl." The land chosen was dormant. "There was nothing around it then," Leishman said. "He thought anything coming out of Connecticut was number one. That's why he wanted it to be like the Yale Bowl."
The elder Leishman collaborated with an architect to draw the plans. Funding came from the sale of season tickets, ranging in cost from $50 to $1,200 per seat. Sales accounted for $250,000. The remaining $22,000 came from a loan.
The Rose Bowl, of course, has been upgraded several times over the years [at considerably greater expense!], but each renovation has maintained the facility's original flavor and charm.
The Rose Bowl Stadium has been the UCLA Bruins' home field since 1982. The 106th edition of the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual will match Oregon and Wisconsin and be played on the first day of the new decade, January 1, 2020.
William Leishman passed away in 1940 at the age of 71. One of the final joys of his life was seeing son Lathrop serve as President of the Tournament of Roses in 1939. Lathrop lived to be 91. He was grand marshal of the Tournament of Roses parade in 1979
George Olsen, longtime Gator Bowl executive director, was a previously announced Hall of Fame inductee, as were Fiesta and Holiday bowl executive John Reid as was former coach, broadcaster and bowl founder Mike Gottfried. One more will be revealed shortly.
This is the second FBA Hall of Fame class. The 2018 inductees included Bud Dudley, Liberty Bowl; Field Scovell, Cotton Bowl; Fred Digby/Warren Miller, Sugar Bowl; and Earnie Seiler, Orange Bowl.
