Published: September 08, 2008 10:27 pm      

Visionary business leader leaves a legacy

“Money has never been an object, per se. I like what money will buy, but I’ve never pursued anything for the sake of money. Some people are very conscious of getting all the money they can get, but that’s just never been my philosophy, and because of that, I’ve not been as aggressive in some areas as I should have been. But I have an overwhelming desire to leave here feeling that something that I’ve had something to do with is better off than it was before I got here.”

That’s what Leslie C. Gates told The Register-Herald in 1999. The longtime Beckley resident died Sunday at the age of 89, leaving many things better off than they were before he got here.

During his lifetime, he earned a Purple Heart, an impeccable worldwide reputation in the civil and mining engineering fields, and the respect of numerous dignitaries and business leaders.

“Leslie Gates was a dear friend, and I will miss him,” Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., said Monday. “I am proud to have partnered with Leslie on many projects vital to the Raleigh County area. He was dedicated to improving West Virginia and to moving our state forward. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

Among those projects was the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building in downtown Beckley. Gates was instrumental in procuring funding for the massive building, so much so that the city named a road for him. Leslie C. Gates Place runs between Neville and Prince streets.

Beckley CPA Carroll Simpkins remembers Gates as a visionary who did great things for the community. “He was one of the greatest movers and shakers in this community for a lot of my life,” Simpkins said. “You don’t fill the shoes of someone like Leslie Gates. He was a kind, gentle person who tenaciously pursued what was in the best interests of the community.”

Simpkins especially heralded the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building as one of Gates’ major contributions.

“As far as I’m concerned, Leslie Gates was singularly responsible for that building being located in Beckley,” Simpkins said. “He never gave up on that. Those things don’t get done unless somebody stays right on it, and Leslie worked assiduously on that for several years.”

On a personal level, Simpkins has lost a great friend and a good political sparring partner. “Leslie was a lifelong Republican; I’m a lifelong Democrat. We’ve had many years of friendship sharing our views. I can’t say anything bad about Leslie. I will miss him, and I see his death as a great personal loss. More than that, though, is that this community has lost someone who helped push through significant ongoing projects for the betterment of the community.”

Father Tom Acker credits Gates with many of the improvements southern West Virginia has witnessed in recent years.

“Leslie Gates was remarkable for his tremendous interest in the community and his continued service for the community up until the last few months of his life,” said Acker, who heads the economic development group Forward Southern West Virginia. Gates served as its first president. “He was always thinking of others. He was responsible not only for the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building, but many other projects. He was simply a man who was a public servant in a private capacity.”

Gates also served as president of the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce and president of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. He was a Rotary member and was Beckley club president and recipient of its distinguished Paul Harris Award. He was a member of many other boards and groups promoting economic development, and was the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA’s Spirit of Beckley recipient in 1989.

Beckley Area Foundation executive director Susan Landis said Gates earned the community’s respect on all levels.

“Leslie Gates not only received the ‘Spirit of Beckley Award,’ he personified the outstanding, dedicated community citizens the award is intended to honor. A devoted husband, father and grandfather, Leslie was an example of the strong family values espoused by southern West Virginians,” Landis said.

“After earning an engineering degree that offered employment opportunities all over the United States, he opted to return home where he established Gates Engineering, a successful business that contributed much to the growth and economy of our area,” she continued.

From his contributions to the education of high school students to helping to generate a thriving economy throughout the Beckley area, Gates brought personal and professional passion to his efforts, Landis said.

“Leslie Gates was a visionary who constantly considered projects that would improve the quality of life where we live and work; his interests included such varied concerns as where to locate area highways and interchanges, acoustical design of the Woodrow Wilson High School Auditorium, continuous care retirement communities, plans for renovation of downtown Beckley, our new federal building, engineering scholarships for his alma mater, the growth of the Beckley Area Foundation and the Flat Top Lake Association. He devoted time, energy and expertise to many development efforts without expectation of financial reward. The most appropriate memorial to Leslie Gates would be continued volunteer involvement of concerned citizens working to make Raleigh County better than we found it.”

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., remembers Gates for his innovative ideas and tireless efforts to better his community and state.

“Leslie Gates was certainly Mr. Civic Involvement,” Rahall said. “He had a hand in every major project of importance to this area, from the federal building, the industrial park, transportation, particularly the Z-Way, the airport — you name it. Leslie Gates had been part of the vision and implementation of it. He had so many ideas for moving the area forward.”

Attending meetings with Gates always held great interest for Rahall, he said.

“It was a delight to be in a meeting with him and to see his enthusiasm and his belief that our best days lie ahead of us in Raleigh County.”

Rahall also remembers a dear friend he respected on many levels.

“He was not only a dear friend to me, but to all of us in Beckley, Raleigh County and all across our great state. I extend my prayers and sympathy to all of his family. I know that his memories will serve as a source of inspiration and strength for all of us,” Rahall said.

Tom Cochran, manager of the Raleigh County Memorial Airport, said Gates “has left a huge footprint on the economic development of this entire area.”

“Leslie Gates is responsible for a lot of the engineering here at the airport. In fact, the terminal building was a contribution he made through the design and engineering. He had an ongoing interest in seeing us add another runway and to increase the activities here. He was a visionary who didn’t look ahead two or three years, but 30-50 years down the road,” Cochran said.

Gates’ involvement with the gassification of coal technology also had a great potential impact on the further development of the airport, he added. “He envisioned that the airport could be used as part of the infrastructure to bring more of that technology to this area. Leslie Gates had a great mind and a great interest in the area and the development of so many parts of our community — our whole region, really,” Cochran said.

Frank Wood, publisher of Beckley Newspapers, recalls Gates playing an important role in many of the positive business stories published by The Register-Herald.

“Leslie was a proud and decorated veteran, a skilled civil engineer and a man of vision,” Wood said. “He recognized the importance of infrastructure and highways and worked hard to make them a priority. An important intellectual voice has been lost. He was a remarkable man who loved his family, and they certainly can be proud of his accomplishments.”