English Chess Forum

The Times, 8 Aug 1959 wrote: CHESS CHAMPION TO GET BEQUEST PRIZE - This year’s British chess champion will receive an additional prize of £135 under a bequest in the will of a South African, Mr. William Sims, of Cape Town. The Championship will be decided at the British Chess Federation congress which opens at York on Monday. Mr. Sims left a half share of the net income from the residue of his estate to provide a prize for the Bntish champion. This year it will be £135, but in future years it is likely to be about £170.

You are likely looking for William Lee Sims II, a prominent American business executive who rose from the small community of Egypt, Mississippi, to become a global leader in the corporate world.

Here is the profile of his life and career based on historical records:

William Lee Sims II (1896–1958)
Birth: February 3, 1896, in Egypt, Chickasaw County, Mississippi.

Death: September 20, 1958, in Cape Town, South Africa.

Parents: He was the son of William L. Sims and Mary Lou Sims. His family was well-established in the Egypt/Okolona area.

Career & Business Impact
William Lee Sims II is most famous for his long and distinguished career with Colgate-Palmolive. He is credited with significantly expanding the company’s international footprint.

Rise to Leadership: He joined the company (then the Palmolive Company) in 1924 as a salesman.

International Work: He spent decades working abroad, notably in Italy and other parts of Europe, where he managed the company's foreign subsidiaries.

Presidency: In 1953, he was elected President of Colgate-Palmolive International, and by 1955, he became the President and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive Co. worldwide.

Retirement: He retired in 1957 but continued to travel and maintain international interests.

Death in Cape Town
Sims passed away in September 1958 while on a visit to Cape Town, South Africa. Given his background in international business, he was frequently traveling to check on global operations or for leisure in his early retirement years. His death was reported in major newspapers, including the New York Times and the Clarion-Ledger back in Mississippi, as he was considered one of the state's most successful "native sons."

Legacy and Connection to Egypt, MS
Despite his global success, his roots remained in Chickasaw County.

Education: He attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University) before entering the business world.

Philanthropy: The Sims family was involved in various local interests in Mississippi and later in Florida, where he maintained a home in Orlando during his later years.

His Connection to Chess
William Lee Sims II was a lifelong enthusiast and patron of chess. His most lasting legacy in the game is the "William Sims Prize," which he established through a significant bequest in his will.

The Bequest: Upon his death in 1958, Sims left a sum of money to the British Chess Federation (BCF) to augment the prize fund for the British Chess Championship.

Duration and Impact: For many years—starting with the 1959 championship in York—the "William Sims Prize" was the primary first-place award for the National Champion. It provided a substantial financial boost to a tournament that, at the time, relied heavily on modest entry fees and small grants.

Recipients: Famous champions like Dr. Jonathan Penrose (who won the first Sims Prize in 1959), Raymond Keene, and William Hartston were all recipients of the prize that bore his name.

Why the British Championship? While Sims was an American from Mississippi, his career with Colgate-Palmolive made him a "citizen of the world." He lived for years in Milan, Paris, and London, managing the company’s European and international divisions. During his time in London, he became deeply involved in the British chess scene and developed a personal desire to see the game professionalized in the UK.

John Saunders wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 18, 2026 12:58 pm

I do hope no-one else is tempted to post AI swill on the forum. It's simply not to be trusted.

Jon D'Souza-Eva wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 18, 2026 12:00 pm

Wow, thanks Nick! Looks like I'll have to start using Gemini.

The Historian in the Age of AI

NCC still has the W. Sims trust fund account in South Africa. KB to work on accessing the
account.