National Football Foundation

Known as “Mr. Rose Bowl,” Leishman was president of the Tournament of Roses in 1939 and served as grand marshal of the New Year's Day parade in 1979. He also served for many years on the organization's Football Committee and the Rose Bowl Game Management Committee. In 1994, he became the first non-athlete member of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. Leishman is credited with obtaining the Tournament House headquarters from the Wrigley family when he persuaded them to donate their Orange Grove Boulevard mansion to the tournament.

Leishman served as president of the Pasadena Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Pasadena Rotary Club and the Southern California Retail Lumber Dealers Association. He was a director of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, a trustee of the Pasadena Presbyterian Church and on the board of the local Salvation Army. In 1969, Leishman was a co-founder of Pasadena Now, which worked for redevelopment of the city by attracting new businesses.

In 1965, the city of Pasadena acknowledged his myriad contributions to civic betterment when it gave him the Arthur Noble Award, presented annually to the Pasadena resident who has contributed most to the community. Among his many awards were The Times' National Sports Award, the Big Ten Conference Participation Award and the NCAA special award for community and collegiate service. He passed away in 1995 at the age of 91.