{"id":66338,"date":"2020-02-24T15:04:24","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T20:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.pinemountainsettlement.net\/?page_id=66338"},"modified":"2020-09-17T22:50:35","modified_gmt":"2020-09-18T02:50:35","slug":"william-matthew-leach-trustee","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/staging.pinemountainsettlement.net\/?page_id=66338","title":{"rendered":"WILLIAM MATTHEW LEACH Trustee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 05: Governance – Board of Trustees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WILLIAM MATTHEW LEACH Trustee, 1973-2002<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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TAGS:<\/strong> William Matthew Leach Trustee, Bill Leach, PMSS Board of Trustees, Creech Family reunions, Robert Leach, PMSS Alumni Advisory Board, Elsie (Creech) Leach, William and Sally Creech, Henry C. Creech, Delia Creech, biologists, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), George Washington University, Labor Service Support Organisation, Marion (Drew) Leach<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. William Matthew Leach<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Among the causes that William Matthew Leach, called “Bill,” strongly supported throughout his life were those of Appalachia. He was particularly committed to the Pine Mountain Settlement School, serving on the Board of Trustees from 1973 through 2002. He regularly came back to the School for Board meetings, reunions of PMSS Alumni and Friends Association and Creech Family reunions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill’s brother, Robert Leach, also served on the Board (2007), then on the PMSS Alumni Advisory Board as its chair and representative of the alumni to the Board from c. 2008 through 2012. (or 2006-2010?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill and Robert had a special familial relationship with the School. Their mother, Elsie (Creech) Leach, was a grandchild of William and Sally Creech, donors of land on which the Pine Mountain Settlement School was built. Elsie was the oldest of Henry C. <\/a>and Delia Creech’s eight children. She was among the 1926 PMSS graduates and continued her education at Berea (KY) College. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the several PMSS Board committees that Bill served on was an ad hoc committee, consisting of Bill Leach, Lois Hoskins, Jamie Greene, Jane Hobgood<\/a> and members of the Executive Committee that was set up to search for a new PMSS Director in 1996. That effort resulted in the hiring of Robin Lambert.<\/a> Bill was also a member of the PMSS Association of Alumni and Friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

William Matthew Leach: Background<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dr. William Matthew Leach was born on June 26, 1933, in Pine Mountain, Kentucky. His parents were Malcolm Leach (1902-1974), a minister, and Elsie (Creech) Leach (1908-1988). He had three brothers and one sister: James M., Paul, George Robert and Rachael H.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill Leach was a radiation biologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for many years. He also served as an adjunct professor at George Washington University in Washington, DC. His achievements, as described on prabook.com include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…[a] role in design and execution of lifespan study of ionizing radiation effects in dogs, development of research programs into biological effects of microwave radiation. Recipient [of the] Labor Service medal, Labor Service Support Organisation, Orleans, France,1959, [and two] Food and Drug Administration honor awards.<\/p>Prabook.com<\/a>, World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc., New York, NY.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Bill and his wife, Marion (Drew) Leach (d. 2007), were married for nearly 50 years. They had three children: Jennifer, Marc and Steve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Bill died on February 26, 2018, the family returned to Pine Mountain Settlement for the funeral. Following that service, his sister Rachael wrote to the PMSS Director the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for you efforts to accommodate all of us who were at Pine Mountain again for my brother Bill Leach’s burial.<\/p>

I spent many summers there with my grandparents, Henry and Delia Creech. We worked in the garden, canning, freezing [food], and we were at the School every Saturday night for dancing parties. School workers would come to Grandpap’s house [and] string beans and peas, shell lima beans and talk. Conversations were always good. Grandpap would talk pros and cons about various candidates, but he never recommended anyone. And, Granny sold Ferry seeds out of the box on the porch — and she always planted something untried & shared it. It broadened what people on the creek learned to like!<\/p>

Good memories — again thanks. <\/p> Rachael Thomas [Mrs. William A. Thomas, Tuscaloosa, Al]<\/em> <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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See Also<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An autobiography<\/strong> of Dr. William Leach titled, \u201cThe 1930s\u201d transcribed in 2001 by Ruth Smith Creech and titled \u201cBill Leach\u2019s Memories.\u201d PMSS Archive Collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An oral history <\/strong>by Charles Creech is recorded on a cassette tape, donated to the PMSS Collections by Bill Leach, his nephew. PMSS Archive Collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CREECH FAMILY<\/a><\/strong>
HENRY C. CREECH<\/a><\/strong>
GEORGE<\/strong> ROBERT LEACH Trustee<\/strong><\/a>
SALLY DIXON CREECH<\/a>
WILLIAM CREECH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Return to:<\/strong>
BIOGRAPHY – A-Z<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GALLERY: William Matthew Leach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t