Evening star., 1939-02-20
Eugene 5. Leggett,
n. f. T.. Official,
Dies Of Pneumonia

UleS OF pneumonia
Veteran Newspaper Man
Was Once President
Of National Press Club
Eugene Sheldon Leggett, 36, exc
cutive officer of the National Emer-
gency Council and veteran news
paperman, died yesterday of bron-
chial pneumonia in Emergency Hos
pital.
Mr.. Leggett, who lived at 1924
Macomb street NV, became i'll last
Tuesday and went to the hospital
Friday afternoon suffering from
bronchial pneumonia and heart
complications.
He was president of the National
Press Club in 1922, being the
youngest person ever to hold that
position
Born in Brantford, Ontario Can
ada, Mr.. Leggett was the only son
of the late Benjahin Thomas Leg
gett and the late Mrs. Mary Eliza
beth Cowan Leggett.
Known familiarly as Red" to
Washington newspaper men and
Government officials, including
President Roosevelt, he came here
IN 1925 as correspondent of the De-
troit Free Press. Before coming to
Washington he had served as State
news editor and political writer for
the Free Press. He began as a
newspaper reporter with the Brant-
ford (Canada) Courier in 1918, and
continued with the London Free
Press, Brantford Expositor, Toronto
Telegram and OWosso mich. }
Argus-Press until 1923, when he
joined the Detroit Free Press.
Named Acting Director.
President Roosevelt in 1887 ap-
pointed Mr.. Leggett acting executive
director of the National Emergency
Council, succeeding Lyle T. Alverson
who was the third head of the
agency charged with coordination
OF the activities of Government
agencies throughout the country. Mr.
Leggett had been associated with the
council since its creation in No
vember, 1888, serving as executive
assistant to Frank c. Walker. the
flrst executive director of the agency
He continued in this capacity during
the regime of Donald Richberg, who
was the second to be head of the
National Emergency Council, until
his appointment as acting executive
director. When Lowell Mellett was
named executive director of the
council last spring, Mr.. Leggett be-
came executive officer.
During his service with the Ma
tlonal Emergency Council. Mr.. Leg
gett had been in close association
with President Roosevelt and dur
ing the Presidents inspection trim
through the drought area in 1896
he acted as liaison with the press
Perhaps Mr.. Leggett's best known
work in the Government was per-
formed in April, 1885, when the
works program was put into effect
The National Emergency Council
was called upon to act as a clearing
house for all information concern
ing w. P. A. and P. w. A. projects
The councils division of applica-
tions and information was created
for this purpose and the tremendous
task OF co-ordinatlng the activity
was assigned to Mr.. Leggett. Sue
cess of the job was attributed largely
to his driving force.
Astute Political Writer.
In his newspaper career he won
distinction for reporting outstand-
ing news developments in Wash
ington. He was regarded as one
OF the most astute political writer's
OF the country. His coverage of
the complex angles of the Detroit
banking situation at the time of
the bank holiday" in 1888 was one
Of his last reportorial assignments
and he enjoyed reminiscing about
the stories he filed almost every
hour during the banking crisis in
Detroit.
Mr.. Leggett became affiliated with
the National Press Club shortly
after coming to Washington. He
Immediately took an active part in
affairs of the club and within five
years he was elected to- its presi-
dency. He was a director of the
National Press Building Corp.
Surviving are son, Eugene S.
Leggett, jr; an adopted son, Frank
Kerr, and sister, Mrs. Harry Brins-
comb of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Funeral Services Here.
Funeral services will be held here
at 3 pm. tomorrow in Oak Hill
Cemetery. The Rev. DR.. James
Shera Montgomery, chaplain of the
House of Representatives, will Off
| ciate.
Arthur Hachten, president of the
National Press Club, in a statement
praised Mr.. Leggett and declared he
contributed to the progress of the
National Press Club while serving
as its president. Mr.. Hachten
named the following committee to
attend the funeral: Robert I. Ber-
ger, Francis M. Brown. James w
Bryan, Ralph A. Collins, William j