Jack Kent Cooke

The Canadian-born mogul who brought the NHL to Los Angeles.

Jack Kent Cooke (October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian American businessman in broadcasting and professional sports. He owned the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), among other sports franchises, and developed The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Quick Facts

Born: 25 October 1912
Birthplace: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Died: 6 April 1997
Place of death: Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation: Businessman
Children: 3

Lore & Background

As a Canadian, Cooke particularly enjoyed ice hockey, and he was determined to bring the National Hockey League (NHL) to Los Angeles. In 1966, the NHL announced it intended to sell six new franchises, and Cooke prepared a bid. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, which operated the Sports Arena, supported a competing bid headed by Los Angeles Rams owner Dan Reeves and advised Cooke that if he won the franchise he would not be allowed to use that facility. In response, Cooke threatened to build a new arena in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood.

Reader's Guide

The Kings played their first game on October 14, 1967—at the Long Beach Arena while construction was being completed at Cooke's new arena.

Early Life and Sales Acumen

Jack Kent Cooke was born on October 25, 1912, in Hamilton, Ontario, moving with his family to The Beaches area of Toronto in 1921. His entrepreneurial career began at age 14 selling encyclopedias; he took home over $20 on his first day, a moment he later called "the proudest moment of my life." He worked as a runner on the Toronto Stock Exchange floor and sold soap for Colgate-Palmolive in Northern Ontario in 1936. It was during this time that he met Roy Thomson, who hired him to run radio station CJCS in Stratford, Ontario. The two became partners in 1941, building a network of radio stations and newspapers across Ontario and Quebec.

Pioneering Integration and Entertainment in Baseball

In 1951, Cooke acquired the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club, immediately integrating the team by signing second baseman Charlie White and pitcher-outfielder Leon Day within two weeks. Day, a future Hall of Famer, pitched 14 games that season before moving on. Cooke transformed the game into an entertainment spectacle with celebrity appearances and promotions, drawing comparisons to Bill Veeck. He was named minor league executive of the year by The Sporting News in 1952. Although he failed to bring a major league team to Toronto due to venue issues and the collapse of the Continental League, his Maple Leafs were an International League powerhouse, finishing first four times and winning the 1960 Governors' Cup.

Strategic Relocation and U.S. Broadcasting Empire

After losing a bid for a private TV station license in Toronto in 1960, Cooke moved to the United States. With support from Representative Francis E. Walter, he became a U.S. citizen via a congressional waiver of the five-year waiting period during President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration. He entered the U.S. broadcasting market in August 1959 by acquiring Pasadena radio station KRLA 1110 through his brother Donald, a U.S. citizen. Cooke formed American Cablevision, acquired TelePrompTer cable TV, and sold it in the late 1970s for $646 million. He also acquired the Chrysler Building in New York City in 1979 and the Los Angeles Daily News in 1985.

Championship Ownership and Stadium Development

Cooke owned a vast array of sports franchises, including the Washington Redskins (NFL), Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Wolves (United Soccer), and Toronto Maple Leafs (IL). Under his ownership, the Lakers won the 1972 NBA Finals, moving to The Forum and changing their colors to Purple and Gold. The Redskins won Super Bowls in 1982, 1987, and 1991 under head coach Joe Gibbs. Cooke developed The Forum in Inglewood, California, and Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (Northwest Stadium) in Landover, Maryland. He sold the Washington Redskins to Daniel Snyder for $800 million in 1999 after his death.