March 4, 2010
In Memoriam: Leon C. Megginson (1921 – 2010)
 Leon C. Megginson passed away in Mobile on Monday, February 22, 2010, at the age of 88. Born in Thomasville, Alabama, on July 26, 1921, Leon received his early education in Thomasville and Mobile. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II as a Second Lieutenant and was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1945. He served as a pilot with the Eighth Air Force in England and, although he flew many different aircraft, the twin-engine P-38 Lightning fighter plane was his favorite.
Following the war, Leon enrolled in Mississippi College where he received his bachelor's degree in 1947. He then entered Louisiana State University's graduate program in Business Administration, received his MBA in 1949, and earned his Ph.D. in Management in 1953. Leon stayed on the LSU faculty, rising to Full Professor in 1960, before being named Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 1977. While at LSU, Leon published some 100 articles and won numerous awards for teaching and research. He also authored or co-authored over 40 editions of 18 textbooks (including Personnel: A Behavioral Approach to Administration, winner of the Academy of Management Book Award in 1967).
Leon is fondly remembered by multiple generations of students and colleagues. Michael LeBoeuf, a former student, recalls, “Though his list of personal and professional achievements is enormous, what I admired most about Leon were his solid values, his high character and his unwavering belief in the value of the individual. He combined a sense of purpose, hard work, high intelligence, and high character. The result was one of the wisest men I ever met.” K. Mark Weaver, also a former student, adds, “He was a gentleman and pushed to make us all and me in particular, to be more than we thought we could be. I feel my curiosity and willingness to do research is a result of the challenges he provided to me.” Longtime colleague, Edmund R. Gray, recollects, “Leon was the first to welcome me and make me feel at home when I came to LSU. He was very much into international travel and brought international issues and experiences into his classes. He was also very much a champion of international students.” To Paul H. Pietri, Jr., a former student and co-author on a number of books, Leon was not only a mentor, but also “the consummate management educator-professional.” David L. Loudon fondly remembers that “Leon was the person who was most influential in my decision to enter the doctoral program at LSU.”
After “retiring” from LSU, Leon remained professionally active for another quarter century. He was named Research Professor of Management at the University of South Alabama in 1977 and concluded his career in 1999 as the J. L. Bedsole Professor of Business Studies Emeritus at the University of Mobile. An inveterate traveler, Leon visited over 60 countries on every inhabited continent. He studied management development in Madrid, Spain, as a Fulbright Scholar from 1961 to 1962; served as a Ford Foundation Resident Advisor on management and case development in Karachi, Pakistan, from 1968 to 1970; and was a U.S. representative to the 1971 United Nations Industrial Development Organization conference in Chile. An avid photographer, Leon richly documented all of his travels – to the expressed irritation, but secret delight of his family.
Leon served as President, Southwestern Social Science Association (1962); President, Southern Management Association (1973-1974); Founding President, North American Case Research Association (1980); and Chair, Management History Division of the Academy of Management (1983). A member of several honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Pi Gamma Mu, Leon was a Fellow of the Academy of Management (1973), the North American Case Research Association (1990), and the Southern Management Association (1995).
Leon was a man of integrity, possessed of a rigorous mind and a vibrant personality that combined authority with warmth and generosity. We are fortunate to have had such a prolific scholar, dedicated teacher, and outstanding role model in our discipline for so many years.
Daniel A. Wren Arthur G. Bedeian W. Jack Duncan
University of Oklahoma Louisiana State University University of Alabama at Birmingham
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