Tsutomu "Tom" Ikeda

Tsutomu "Tom" Ikeda

The eldest of nine children of Japanese immigrants, Tom Ikeda could speak little English when he was in elementary school, but through hard work that characterized his life, he became a very good student at Mesa High School where he played baseball for Coach Johnny Riggs along with participating in football and track. He earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Arizona, but had to turn it down to help support his family.

Tom and his family had a difficult time during World War II, but fortunately were not interred as were so many Japanese. Following the War, Tom started buying land in Mesa and became a highly successful farmer and real estate developer. He was extremely civic-minded and believed in giving back to his community and helping others. Because of his interest in sports, he was involved in bringing Major League Baseball teams to Arizona for Spring Training and was instrumental in persuading Japanese professional teams to train in Mesa. In fact, they initially trained at Mesa Community College.

He was among the founding members of the Ho-Chief Foundation that supported the college's athletic program in those early years and contributed $10,000 toward the construction of the Health Improvement Center on campus. He was a charter member and President of the Mesa Junior Chamber of Commerce, chaired the Mesa Red Cross, was on the YMCA and United Way Boards, was "Big Ho" of the HoHoKams, and President of the Japanese-American Citizens League and the Mesa Baseline Rotary.

A supporter of the arts, the Ikeda family made a million dollar gift in 2003 to the Mesa Performing Arts Center where a 1,600-seat state-of-the-art theater is named in honor of Tom and Janet Ikeda.