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8B-THE SEA COAST ECHO-SUNDAY. MARCH 27, 1983
Portrait of Hancock Bank s
By BONNY WHITE Special to The Sea Coast Echo courtsey of Gulfport Star Journal “If you like people then, banking’s a good business to be in,” the man said, “to see the little businesses catch on, grow, and prosper —just to think that you were a part in enabling some person to accomplish the mission he set out on, and to make the community a better place gives you a fine feeling. I don’t know anything else I’d rather do.” We were in a sitting room on the seventh floor of the new Hancock Bank Building where Leo W. Seal Jr. leaned back in
a comfortable arm chair, stretched his solid 6 foot-3 inch ex-Mississippi State tackle’s frame, and talked about the business he’s been in for 35 years.
He talked about the past, present, and projected future of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Hancock Bank, and also of his personal philosophy of life.
He talked about people, places, banking and his keen blue-gray eyes reflected his high interest and love for his work.
“When I was a boy,” he continued, “I wanted to work in the bank, but my father wouldn’t let me. He told me he wanted me to be absolutely
sure that’s what I wanted to do before I came in.”
So, as a teenager growing up in Bay St. Louis, he tried his hand at a variety of jobs to earn his spending money.
“I worked in a fish market unloading shrimp, oysters, crabs, and fish. Then I ran a fish route into Picayune and Poplarville to neighborhood grocery stores,” he said, “and I learned that you can make a lot of money in selling if you go about it right, but I never found selling as interesting as banking,” he said.
After trying his hand at selling, he tried his feet at climbing.
“I went up many a pole for
the telephone company” he ; remembered with a laugh. : He worked in construction ■ at the Navy base, drove laundry routes, and pumped gas at service stations.
“That was back when pumping gas was literally pumping gas,” he chuckled.
All of these varied jobs played an important part in the early years of the future president of Hancock Bank. They helped develop industry and a keen insight into human .nature which would carry ' over into his career in banking and finance.
“Every one of those jobs was a learning experience,” he said. “When I worked in the