Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke (25 October, 1912 – 6 April, 1997) was a Canadian entrepreneur who became one of the most widely-known executives in North American professional sports. He is remembered for owning the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Lakers, bringing professional ice hockey to Southern California in the form of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, and building the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, the former home of the Lakers and Kings, one of L.A.'s most recognizable landmarks.
Born in Stratford, Ontario, Cooke started out as an encyclopedia salesman in the 1930s. He then ventured into broadcasting before expanding into sports. He successfully owned the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he purchased the Redskins and the Lakers.
Being a Canadian, Cooke's first love was hockey, and he was determined to bring the NHL to Los Angeles. To this end, when the Pacific Coast Hockey League, which maintained franchises in California, threatened to become a major league and compete for the Stanley Cup, Cooke paid the NHL $2 million to establish a team in L.A. Thus, the Los Angeles Kings were welcomed into the League in 1967.
In order to accommodate his new hockey team as well as the Lakers, Cooke announced that he would be building "the most beautiful arena in the world". He delivered on his promise, unveiling the Great Western Forum in the L.A. suburb of Inglewood to rave reviews.
As owner of the Redskins, Cooke's team won three Super Bowls, under Head Coach Joe Gibbs. After Gibbs left the Redskins experienced some mediocre years before his death. In 1997, Cooke completed a stadium deal in Landover, Maryland, for a new home for his team. The stadium was posthumously named in honor of Cooke, but was later changed to FedEx Field. After his death, the stadium and team were purchased from Cooke's estate by Daniel Snyder. Cooke's son, John Kent Cooke, was unable to put in a competitive bid.
Cooke is strongly disliked by the people of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Cooke fought hard to prevent Baltimore from getting an NFL team after the Baltimore Colts left for Indianapolis because Baltimore was declared Redskin territory after the move.
Cooke died of cardiac arrest in 1997. The provisions of his will established the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to help struggling people achieve the same success that he enjoyed. The stated mission of the foundation is "To help young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education. "