Personne

Leake, Charles Hobson

1869 - 1957

Leake House, in the Boys' Prep is named after Charles Hobson Leake.
Charles Hobson Leake was one of the founding members of the St Stithians College Trust. He was a fellow Methodist of William Mountstephens and Albert Collins, the founding donors of the funds to purchase the Driefontein Farm portion and establish the College. Leake attended the Official Opening of the College and laid the Foundation Stone that is embedded in the wall of the Chapel facing the Chapel Quad. Leake served as Chairman of the Trust until his death in 1957.
Apart from all the work that he did for the College, Leake made a huge contribution to the welfare of the poorer citizens of Johannesburg. He established the Rand Aid Association to support the downtrodden and the aged and served as its Chairman for 30 years. This organisation is still extant today and serving the wider community. Boys in the College still visit Jordan House as part of their Community Engagement contribution. Details of his work with Rand Aid can be found in the documents in this online archive.
One of the Rand Aid buildings was named Mount Collins House in memory of his friends, our founders.

Leake's life and contribution is epitomised in one of the quotations included in his Album 1:
“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it;
Who has left the world better than he found it,
Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction.”
Bessie Anderson Stanley c.1905

Documents within the collection.