James Lemon

James H. Lemon Sr.
Born
James Hanson Lemon

(1903-05-14)May 14, 1903
Washington, D.C.
DiedJuly 20, 1977(1977-07-20) (aged 74)
Washington, D.C.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materPrinceton University (B.S. 1925)
Occupation(s)businessman, investment banker
Known forCo-owner/president of the Washington Senators (1963–1967), chairman of the board, 1968
SpouseMartha Lane McGchee
ChildrenJames Hanson Lemon Jr.

James Hanson Lemon Sr. (May 14, 1903 – July 20, 1977) was an investment banker from Washington, D.C. He is best known as the co-owner of the Washington Senators of the American League with James Johnston from 1963 through 1967, and the principal owner and chairman of the board in 1968.[1] Lemon was born in Washington in 1903.[2] He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Princeton University in 1925.[3]

During the 1930s, Lemon was well known in the world of contract bridge, serving as president of the Washington Bridge League[4] and, in 1939, of the American Contract Bridge League.[5]

In 1963, Johnston and Lemon purchased the two-year-old Senators expansion franchise from their original principal owner, Elwood "Pete" Quesada. One year after Johnston's death in December 1967, Lemon sold the franchise to Bob Short. Lemon remained with the Senators as chairman of the board, retaining a minority interest in the team.[6] Short later moved the Senators to Arlington, Texas, where they became the Texas Rangers. He was a frequent golf partner of Dwight Eisenhower, who appointed him as a special ambassador to Ghana.[7]

Lemon was not related to Jim Lemon, the former outfielder who was field manager on the Senators in 1968.[8]

Lemon died in 1977 at Washington at 74.[9] His wife Martha died on December 21, 1996.[10]

  1. ^ Nashua Telegraph, Wednesday, July 10, 1968, Nashua, New Hampshire
  2. ^ Marquis Who's Who, LLC (1977). Who's who in Finance and Industry. [etc.] Marquis Who's Who. ISBN 9780837903200. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  3. ^ Eisenhower, D.D.; Chandler, A.D.; Galambos, L.; Van Ee, D.; United States. President (1953–1961 : Eisenhower) (2001). The papers of Dwight David Eisenhower. Johns Hopkins Press. ISBN 9780801866845. Retrieved 2015-04-06.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "WBL Bulletin, July/August 2006" (PDF). districtsix.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  5. ^ "List of ACBL Presidents". Archived from the original on 2006-10-09. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
  6. ^ Deveaux, T. (31 December 2003). The Washington Senators, 1901–1971. McFarland. p. 239. ISBN 9780786450176. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  7. ^ Francis, Henry G.; Truscott, Alan F.; Francis, Dorthy A., eds. (1994). The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (5th ed.). Memphis, TN: American Contract Bridge League. p. 676. ISBN 0-943855-48-9. LCCN 96188639.
  8. ^ Danville Register, Thursday, January 04, 1968, Danville, Virginia
  9. ^ Marquis Who's Who, Inc (1981). Who was who in America. Vol. 7. Marquis-Who's Who. ISBN 9780837902104. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  10. ^ "NewsLibrary Search Results". nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved 2015-04-06.