Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 05: Governance – Board of Trustees

WILLIAM MATTHEW LEACH Trustee, 1973-2002

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TAGS: 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

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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.

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?)

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. and Delia Creech’s eight children. She was among the 1926 PMSS graduates and continued her education at Berea (KY) College.

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 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. Bill was also a member of the PMSS Association of Alumni and Friends.

William Matthew Leach: Background

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.

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:

…[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.

Prabook.com, World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc., New York, NY.

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

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:

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

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!

Good memories — again thanks.

Rachael Thomas [Mrs. William A. Thomas, Tuscaloosa, Al]

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See Also:

An autobiography of Dr. William Leach titled, “The 1930s” transcribed in 2001 by Ruth Smith Creech and titled “Bill Leach’s Memories.” PMSS Archive Collections.

An oral history by Charles Creech is recorded on a cassette tape, donated to the PMSS Collections by Bill Leach, his nephew. PMSS Archive Collections.

CREECH FAMILY
HENRY C. CREECH
GEORGE ROBERT LEACH Trustee
SALLY DIXON CREECH
WILLIAM CREECH

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BIOGRAPHY – A-Z

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GALLERY: William Matthew Leach

Title	William Matthew Leach
Alt. Title	Bill Leach ; William M. Leach
Identifier	https://pinemountainsettlement.net/?page_id=66338
Creator	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Alt. Creator	Helen Hayes Wykle ; Ann Angel Eberhardt
Subject Keyword	William Matthew Leach ; 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 ; Berea College ; PMSS board committees, Robin Lambert ; Malcolm Leach ; biologists ; U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ; George Washington University ; Labor Service medal ; Labor Service Support Organisation ; Marion (Drew) Leach ;
Subject LCSH	Leach, William Matthew, — 1933 – 2018. Pine Mountain (Ky.) Settlement School — History. Harlan County (Ky.) — History. Education — Kentucky — Harlan County. Rural schools — Kentucky — History. Schools — Appalachian Region, Southern.
Date	2019-09-25 hw
Publisher	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Contributor	n/a
Type	Collections ; text ; image ;
Format	Original and copies of documents and correspondence in file folders in filing cabinet.
Source	Series 05: Governance – Board of Trustees Series 09: Biography – Trustees
Language	English
Relation	Is related to: Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections, Series 05: Governance – Board of Trustees and Series 09: Biography – Trustees
Coverage Temporal	1933 – 2018
Coverage Spatial	Pine Mountain, KY ; Harlan County, KY ; Washington, DC ; Orleans, France ;
Rights	Any display, publication or public use must credit the Pine Mountain Settlement School. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Donor	n/a
Description	Core documents, correspondence, writings and administrative papers created by or addressed to William Matthew Leach; clippings, photographs, publications, illustrations by or about William Matthew Leach.
Acquisition	n/d
Citation	“[Identification of Item],” [Collection Name] [Series Number, if applicable]. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY.
Processed By	Helen Hayes Wykle ; Ann Angel Eberhardt ;
Last Updated	2020-02-24 aae ; 2020-08-03 aae ;
Bibliography	Leach, William M. Biological Aspects of Ultraviolet Radiation: A Review of Hazards. Springfield, Va: National Technical Information Service, 1970. Internet resource. Leach, William M. Intracellular Retention of Tritiated Thymidine between Periods of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis. UTK Thesis., 1962. Print.
Sources	Sources: ‘Dr. William Matthew Leach.” Obituary, The Washington Post, March 11, 2018, powered by legacy.com. Internet resource. “Elsie Creech Leach.” Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138534323/elsie-leach (Accessed 23 February 2020). Internet resource. “United States Census, 1940,” database with images,  FamilySearch. (Accessed 23 February 2020). Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012. Internet resource. “William Leach,” Series 05: Governance – Board of Trustees and Series 09: Biography – Trustees. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY. Internet resource. . “William Matthew Leach.” Prabook.com, World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc., New York, NY. Internet resource.