Pepperdine University Athletics

From the 1975 dedication of Firestone Fieldhouse:

"My greatest satisfaction in life is doing something for somebody else," Leonard K. Firestone once commented to Pepperdine's president, William S. Banowsky.

Mr. Firestone has, indeed, done a great deal for other people during his distinguished career as an industrialist and public servant, which began in 1931. Appointed president of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of California in 1943, he retired from that position in 1970.

His latest accomplishment is to serve his country as Ambassador to Belgium.

The dedication of the Firestone Fieldhouse is further evidence of his service to others. In addition to his gifts to Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California, many youth, religious and civic organizations have benefited from his giving. His service has brought outstanding awards from the Salvation Army, the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce and the National Conference of Christians and Jews, which named him "Man of the Year."

His leadership in the community includes: past chairman and current member of the Board of Trustees at USC; member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America; member of the California Community Foundation; and honorary chairman of the Board of Directors of the Deafness Research Foundation. He has also served as president of the World Affairs Council and as a member of the Beverly Hills City Council.

Christianity Today recently noted Ambassador Firestone's selfless spirit by pointing out that a July 1975 meeting he hosted in Brussels between European editors and Billy Graham resulted in Graham's best coverage ever on the Continent. Mr. Firestone also helped to promote the gathering of the 14,000 evangelical Christians to which Graham and others spoke.

Ambassador Firestone, a member of Pepperdine's University Board since 1955, has supported athletics for many years. Formerly part owner of the Cleveland Rams and California Angels, he served as chairman of the 1958 Los Angeles Open golf tournament and as president of the Palm Springs Golf Classic in 1961 and 1962. He was captain of the Princeton University polo team in his junior and senior years and was rated a five-goal player.

About his many accomplishments and contributions, he has remarked with modesty, "It's kind of selfish approach, actually, because you get more out of it than you put into it. What you do for somebody pays off much greater than any effort put into it. And that doesn't necessarily mean making money."