The Quiet Influencer
Larry Drummond built a life of which many can only dream. Perhaps more remarkable is the simplicity he found in it.
Words by Al Blanton | Images courtesy the Larry Drummond family
One tends to think that the best, most effective leaders are the ones whose voices ring loudest, who, as masters of words and the English language, can inspire others through daring speeches and lofty rhetoric to feats unimaginable. Then, there are those who do so quietly and unassumingly. Such is the case for Elbert Allen "Larry" Drummond.
By the end of his life, Larry had risen from the Warrior River mud to the pinnacle of the Alabama business world as Vice-President of Drummond Coal Company. Yet, he is described by many not as a ruthless businessman who stepped on others to achieve success, but as "humble," "generous," "kind," "thoughtful," and "a gentleman." Which begs the intriguing question: what was the driving force behind his life?
Born in August 1943 and raised in the Sipsey community by his parents, Heman and Elza Drummond, Larry grew up playing football and Little League baseball on the dirt fields of Walker County. Later, Larry played fullback and linebacker for the Walker County Vikings, participating on the JV team during the school's state championship run in 1957.
During this time, he also began dating the eventual love of his life, Abbie Kiker. The daughter of a coal executive, Abbie was used to the mining life, but little did she or Larry realize at the time the global impact a little coal company in Walker County would later have.
By 1961, though, Larry had graduated high school, and his thoughts were consumed with the material pumped out by his Walker College professors. After attending the local junior college for two years, Larry transferred to The University of Alabama to study business.
Bud Long, a friend and longtime Drummond Co. attorney whose life seemed to parallel Larry's, remembered that he was a "hell of a student" and enjoyed school. "Larry was a unique individual in that he was somewhat shy, but by the same token, from an intelligence standpoint, (he was) probably one of the smartest people I've ever known," Long said.
After graduating with a commerce and business administration degree, Larry obtained a master's degree in accounting. Still thirsty for more schooling, Larry earned his J.D. from Alabama School of Law in 1969 (alongside his friend, Bud Long). But instead of joining a firm, the shy, erudite new graduate decided to forego the practice of law, returning to Jasper to accept a sales position with the family company.
Larry had cut his teeth in the company during summer breaks, working on things like site prep, drilling, and operations. But it was in the realm of sales where Larry shined. For the next several years, Larry brokered deals across the nation and the globe—from California to Japan to South America—as Drummond expanded its operations outside of Walker County and established a truly global footprint. Though title wasn't of paramount importance, Larry rose from his initial sales position to Vice-Chairman of the company and Chairman of the Executive Committee.
Larry worked out of the office on Walston Bridge Road, and Bud says hardly a day went by that his office door was not like a turnstile. "Businesspeople would come by to see him, but there is no telling who in the community wanted to see Larry Drummond," Long says. "He was just a unique individual."
What stood out to Bud about Larry's professional life was that he was a man of integrity—someone who could be trusted. "He got to be good friends with most of the people he did business with," Long said. "He had an innate way of working with people, and it didn't take long for people to determine, 'This guy's telling me the truth, he's not pulling my leg, and we can do business with him.'"
Though his job required long hours and worldwide travel, Larry placed family just below faith on his personal pecking order. Abbie and Larry had three children, Terri, Scott, and Patrick, who became exceptionally special to their father.
"He was a very generous individual, but the most important thing he gave was his time to God, his children, and his family," Abbie says. "He was a devout Christian, and you saw that through his everyday life."
Abbie remembers that the couple thrived by establishing a rule never to let the sun go down while they were angry. This was a pact that the couple maintained throughout the entirety of their marriage. But mostly, she remembers his kindness. On birthdays or anniversaries, Larry would cut words out of magazines to patch together birthday cards for his sweetheart. These are just a few anecdotes that exemplify his warmheartedness and provide a poignant texture to the life of Larry Drummond.
Through the years, Larry poured into his alma mater by becoming a member of the President's Cabinet and the Board of Visitors of the Culverhouse School of Commerce. Through his love for the University, he personally got to know every Alabama football coach, including Paul "Bear" Bryant, Gene Stallings, and Nick Saban. The following is a quote from Terry and Nick Saban on their friend, Larry Drummond:
Nick and I always looked forward to spending time with Larry and Abbie Drummond! Nick loved playing golf with Larry and enjoyed his jovial personality. There was not a finer man than Larry Drummond … nor a finer family. Larry and Abbie were the perfect complement and passed along those same quality traits to their children. There aren't many self-made successful businessmen in the world, especially in our little corner of Alabama, whose success is due to hard work and fair and honest business practices. Larry's family has continued to carry on his legacy of generosity, making the world a better place! We have the highest regard for Larry Drummond; his passing was a tremendous loss to us, personally, and to countless others who were lucky enough to know him.
In addition to football coaches, Larry also had the opportunity to meet business leaders and dignitaries internationally. But one of the hallmarks of her husband, Abbie says, is that "it made no difference your status in life. He treated everyone the same."
Larry enjoyed spending his discretionary time in nature but became a voracious reader later in life. Pleasant memories from his time with the Boy Scouts and his Western Civilization class at Walker College, both led by Winfred Sandlin, seemed to light the spark for studying history and antiquity.
Though Larry passed away on July 30, 2012, at his residence in Jasper, his influence is still felt throughout the Jasper community. Paul Kennedy, who has served as President of the Walker Area Community Foundation (WACF) since May 2007, underscores Larry's role in the genesis of the Foundation: "As I became more familiar with my Board Members and their expectations for the Community Foundation, and especially my role in it for our community, it was very clear that Mr. Drummond, along with Mr. (John) Oliver, set the tone and expectations for the Community Foundation at a very high level. It was not until later that I learned of Larry's role in getting the Foundation started. It almost did not happen but for Larry Drummond, John Oliver, George Mitnick, and Pat Willingham.”
"What really surprised me was his genuine compassion for his community and all the people in it. He really cared. The only thing he did not care about was getting credit for the good that he did for everyone. My only regret about my relationship with Larry Drummond was that it was cut short. I could have learned so much more from him about being a real gentleman, a real businessman, and a real philanthropist. Larry was a powerful man, but you never knew it because he was always looking for a way to use his unsought status for the good of his fellow man."
Eddie Jackson, an attorney with Jackson Fikes & Brakefield in Jasper who also serves on the WACF Board, noted Larry's quick wit and benevolence. "Larry had a wicked sense of humor and was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word—a very humble, selfless man—and there is no telling how many people he helped with no thought of getting anything in return. People on the street or folks would come to him for help, and he'd say, 'Yeah, I'll do that.' That always impressed me," Jackson said.
Forasmuch success as he had with Drummond Company, what truly defined Larry Drummond was his function as a philanthropist, father, husband, and, most importantly, believer. As Kennedy said, "Larry was a very quiet and very private individual," but his impact rang loudest in how he lived his life and poured into others, in what he gave rather than what he received.
Abbie never could have imagined in her wildest dreams the kind of life she and Larry built through the decades. But it wasn't success, accolades, or even power that gave the couple a sense of meaning and purpose, for, as she says, "When you learn to give and give freely, that makes your life." 78