Leon Hess
Leon Hess | |
---|---|
Born | Asbury Park, New Jersey, U.S. | March 14, 1914
Died | May 7, 1999 New York City, U.S. | (aged 85)
Occupation(s) | Founder of the Hess Corporation Owner of the New York Jets |
Spouse | Norma Wilentz |
Children | Marlene Hess Zirin Constance H. Williams John B. Hess |
Leon Hess (March 14, 1914 – May 7, 1999) was an American businessman, the founder of the Hess Corporation and the owner of the New York Jets. Hess built an oil terminal in New Jersey after the Great Depression, building his first refinery in the late 1950s. He sold his company, Hess Oil and Chemical, in 1963 and joined a consortium to buy the New York Jets. Hess was responsible for moving the Jets to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1984.
In 1969, Hess acquired Amerada Petroleum Corporation, one of the largest producers of crude oil in the United States. The acquisition saw Amerada merging with Hess Oil and Chemical to form the Amerada Hess Corporation. Hess was chairman and CEO until 1995. He died at the age of 85 on May 7, 1999. Hess was posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011.
Early life
Hess was born on March 14, 1914,
Career
After the war, using a network of smaller terminals, Hess's success continued. In the late 1950s, he built his first refinery; and in 1960, he opened a chain of gas stations.
New York Jets
In 1963, Hess was part of a consortium that bought the New York Jets which included Sonny Werblin, Philip H. Iselin, Townsend B. Martin, and Donald C. Lillis.[4] His initial investment was $250,000.[1] He bought out his partners: Werblin in 1968,[5] the heirs of Iselin in 1977, Martin in 1981[6] and in 1984 became the sole owner of the club after purchasing the last quarter-share from Helen Dillon, Lillis' daughter.[4] The Jets played in Shea Stadium in 1964 after four seasons in the Polo Grounds. In 1984 Hess moved the team to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.[7]
Personal life and death
In 1947, he married Norma Wilentz.
Hess died at Lenox Hill Hospital on May 7, 1999, from a "blood disease".[3][10]
Legacy
In 2011, Hess was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[11][12] In 2014, the New York Jets selected Hess, along with former wide receiver Wayne Chrebet, to be the year's inductees into its Ring of Honor.[13]
The Leon Hess Business School[14] at Monmouth University and the Leon and Norma Hess Center for Science and Medicine of the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City [15][16] were named for him.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m New York Times: "Leon Hess, Who Built a Major Oil Company and Owned the Jets, Is Dead at 85" By Gerald Eskenazi May 08, 1999
- ^ We Are Many: Reflections on American Jewish History and Identity By Edward S Shapiro, pages 123-124, retrieved April 6, 2013
- ^ a b "Leon Hess". Sports Illustrated. May 7, 1999. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
- ^ a b Gola, Hank (January 12, 2000). "Hess Family Hits Gusher In Jet Sale". Daily News. New York.
- ^ "Sonny Werblin, an Impresario of New York's Sports Extravaganza, Is Dead at 81". The New York Times. November 23, 1991.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (January 14, 2000). "Sports Business; For Hess's Estate, It's a jets.com". The New York Times.
- ^ Mike Freeman (October 17, 2000). "On Pro Football; New York Teams Taking Different Paths to the Same Destination". New York Times. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
- ^ New Jersey Star Ledger: "Norma Wilentz Hess" April 22, 2010
- ^ New York Times: "Marlene Hess, a Banking Executive, Is Married to James Zirin, a Lawyer" May 19, 1990
- James Zirin, John and Susan Hess; adored grandfather of Elizabeth and Jennifer Williams, Peter and Margaret Friedland, Michael, David and William Hess; dear brother of Betty Gilbert, dear brother-in-law of Ruth Hess, Warren and Rhoda Wilentz and the late Robert and Jacqueline Wilentz, treasured son of the late Ethel and Mores Hess and son-inlaw of the late Lena and David T. Wilentz.
- ^ "Leon Hess". New Jersey Hall of Fame. 2014-04-12. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- )
- ^ Lange, Randy. "Leon Hess, Wayne Chrebet to Join Ring of Honor". New York Jets. Retrieved 9 Jan 2015.
- ^ "Leon Hess Business School".
- ^ "Hess Center - NYC | Icahn School of Medicine".
- ^ "Hess Center - NYC | Icahn School of Medicine".