Gilbert Lea

Gilbert Lea (December 16, 1912 – May 4, 2008) was an American football player, army veteran, advertising executive, and publisher.

Early life Lea was born in 1912 at Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

Lea attended the Montgomery School and later St. Paul's School, a private preparatory school in Concord, New Hampshire. At St. Paul's Lea was captain of the football team and received the Gordon Medal as the school's best all-around athlete.

Military and later years During World War II, Lea served in the U.S. Army as an artillery instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and then helped build the 13th Armored Division. He was later sent to Europe as a battalion commander of an armored artillery unit attached to the Third Army commanded by General George Patton.

After World War II, Lea worked in the publishing and advertising business for most of his life, for Time magazine (1936–1948), Business Week, McGraw-Hill, and McCall's magazine. From 1957 to 1967, Lea worked at Ogilvy & Mather as vice president in charge of new business.