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A Tampa native born on 25 October 1911, Theodore Lesley came from a pioneer family that had roots in Hillsborough County dating to 1848. Leroy G. Lesley, his great-grandfather, rode the preaching circuit as a Methodist minister and participated in the Second and Third Seminole Wars (1835-1842 and 1855-1858, respectively). Theodore's grandfather, John T. Lesley, was a native of Madison County born on 12 May 1835 who enlisted in the Confederate forces in 1861 and fought in the Fourth Regiment Infantry. John Lesley also played an important role in the shaping of Tampa's economic and political landscape during the nineteenth century through his service as one of the original directors of First National Bank, his tenure as sheriff of Hillsborough County, and his activities in the Florida legislature. Theodore's parents, Theodore and May Yancey Lesley, continued his family's traditions in shaping Tampa's development. The elder Theodore had served as Tax Collector in Hillsborough County. May Yancey, a native of Cusseta, Georgia, came to Florida at a young age, graduated from the old Hillsborough High School, became a teacher in Tampa and at Anclote (near present-day Tarpon Springs), and gained prominence as a local suffragette. In 1919, she wrote and helped establish Florida's compulsory school law, a measure passed by the legislature as a local option that districts throughout Florida embraced. The younger Theodore embraced the study of local and regional history. He developed an excellent collection of Florida history materials and began service as a member of the Hillsborough County Historical Commission when a legislative act in 1949 led to its creation. In 1966, he became the second Hillsborough County Historian, a post he held for more than a decade. In this capacity, he developed exhibits for the museum and built collections. His work with other cultural organizations included duties as a director of the Florida Historical Society, an active member of Barrio Latino, and leadership posts with the Society of the Territory of Florida and the Florida Genealogical Society. He became ill in June 1978 and entered Tampa General Hospital for treatments. He passed away on June 25 of that year.

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