Jack Kent Cooke

Jack Kent Cooke. He was a Canadian-American businessman and sports magnate who built a vast empire spanning professional sports, broadcasting, and real estate. Known for his flamboyant personality and competitive drive, he was the principal owner of the Washington Redskins during their period of Super Bowl dominance and previously owned the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings. His legacy is cemented in the stadiums he built and the championship teams he helmed.

Early life and career

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, he demonstrated entrepreneurial zeal from a young age, selling magazines and winning a scholarship to Upper Canada College. His early career was in direct sales, notably for the Canadian branch of the Standard Oil company. After serving as a pilot officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, he entered the media business, purchasing a small radio station in Ontario. His partnership with Roy Thomson proved pivotal, allowing for expansion into a chain of newspapers and radio stations across Canada. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1960, shifting his focus southward to pursue larger ambitions in Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association.

Ownership of sports teams

His first major foray into American professional sports came in 1959 when he acquired a minority stake in the Washington Senators. In 1965, he purchased the Los Angeles Lakers from Bob Short and also brought the expansion Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League into existence. He built the Forum in Inglewood, California as a state-of-the-art home for both teams. Under his ownership, the Lakers, led by stars like Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, reached the NBA Finals multiple times, winning the championship in 1972. He sold both the Lakers and Kings in 1979 to concentrate his resources on his football franchise.

The Washington Redskins

He gained full control of the Washington Redskins in 1974 and presided over the most successful era in the franchise's history. Hiring general manager Bobby Beathard and head coach Joe Gibbs, he built an organization that emphasized toughness and excellence. The team won three Super Bowl titles in a decade, with victories in Super Bowl XVII, Super Bowl XXII, and Super Bowl XXVI, featuring iconic players like John Riggins, Art Monk, and Darrell Green. A central figure in his later years was the drive to construct a new stadium, culminating in the opening of FedExField in Landover, Maryland in 1997, though he did not live to see its first regular season game.

Media and business ventures

Beyond sports, he was a formidable media proprietor and investor. His early success with Roy Thomson involved building a significant portfolio of Canadian newspapers. In the United States, he owned several television stations, including WGHP in High Point, North Carolina, and had interests in cable television systems. He was a major shareholder in the Telegram Corporation, publisher of the New York Daily News. His business acumen extended to substantial real estate holdings, including a large cattle ranch in Virginia and a famed estate, Sycamore Ranch, in the San Fernando Valley.

Personal life and legacy

He was married four times, with his marriages to Jeannie Cooke, Marlene Ramallo Chalmers, and Suzanne Martin being particularly noted in society pages. He had three children, including his son John Kent Cooke who succeeded him as president of the Washington Redskins. His death in 1997 from heart failure led to the sale of his sports assets to satisfy estate taxes, with Daniel Snyder eventually purchasing the team. His name endures through the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, a major philanthropic organization providing scholarships to high-achieving students with financial need. He was inducted posthumously into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and is remembered as one of the most influential and determined owners in the history of professional sports.

Category:American sports team owners Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States Category:National Football League executives