The Miracle League of Montgomery County, Maryland was founded by Dr. James J. Leder, a dentist and long-time active member of the Bethesda Kiwanis Club. Jim was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated college from the University of Pittsburgh, and then after a stint in the US Navy Reserves, he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh’s Dental School in 1959. Dr. Leder operated a successful solo dental practice in Bethesda for many years, and raised a family of three children with his wife, Pat.
In 2008, Jim identified Miracle League as a project to benefit special needs’ kids with legacy funds left to the Bethesda Kiwanis Foundation by generous donors. He lead the efforts over the next several year (along with assistance from Marv Jackson) to identify a field location with the Montgomery County Department of Parks, raise funds from private donors (including the Lerner Family Foundation and the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation) and the State of Maryland, oversee the Washington Nationals Miracle Field design from talented landscape architect Grace Fielder, and achieve the construction of the Miracle Field. He helped to create the corporate entity to operate Miracle League, and recruited Board members from the community. Jim was the driving force behind the creation of Miracle League; he was the guy with a vision, a mission, and plenty of passion to make it happen.
When the Miracle League debuted in 2011, Dr. Leder oversaw all of its operations, and worked tirelessly to promote its virtues to parents and special needs’ children. He cultivated many personal relationships with players, parents, volunteers, and key staff in the County’s Recreation Department and Parks Department in those early years. Jim passed away on November 16, 2018. A memorial plaque honors him at the Washington Nationals Miracle Field.
