World War I veteran Roy H. Long, Sr., began his career in Tucson in the banking business by selling real estate for Southern Arizona Bank and Trust Company before starting his own company in 1926.

Long launched the business out of his home at 1817 East Fifth Street with two salespeople. For a few years in the 1940s, his office was located at 92 East Broadway Boulevard and in 1946, he moved to 1826 East Sixth Street, a five-room house remodeled to suit the company’s needs, which still serves as the firm’s central office.

Long’s land sales earned him the title “Mr. Acreage of Tucson” in his first years in the business. That title, in part, stemmed from one of his early sales of 160 acres bordered by Tucson Boulevard and Campbell Avenue, Elm Street and Grant Road, including a large home with Tucson’s first private swimming pool, all for $25,000.

Bob Long, Roy’s son, joined the business in 1950 as office manager and later became president of Arizona Mortuary. A second son, Barrington L. Long, came on board in 1952, as did Samuel H. Woods. Barrington (Barry) became president of the firm. The Long Company’s goal in that year was to sell $100,000 worth of homes per month; by 1979, monthly sales averaged nearly $12 million. Woods has been the company’s leading producer during this growth period.

ln 1957, the Long family extended its interests to the insurance business. Barrington L. Long is president of Roy H. Long Insurance Agency, and Doug Martin is sales manager. Other hallmarks of the realty company’s expansion are its branch offices, the first of which was opened in 1969 on the northwest side of town. Now in its fifth decade, the firm is southern Arizona’s largest-

Roy H. Long, Sr.

founded his real estate sales company in 1926.

-real estate company, with ten offices and 250 salespeople. Services include insurance, commercial real estate, and a corporate relocation department.

Three members of the third generation of Longs are now involved in the business: Barrington Long’s sons, Roy, Russell, and Steven, who continue the tradition of community service initiated by Roy Long, Sr. He was instrumental in securing land for Himmel Park and led the fund drive to build the Central YMCA. The senior Long was also a member of the chamber of commerce committee that presented Tucson’s first rodeo in the 1920s.

John T. Riley, Robert Piersol, Roy H. Long, Steven B. Long, Barrington L. Long, Russell P. Long, Darlene M. Gerhart, and Samuel H. Woods

, officers of the Roy H. Long Realty Company, pose in front of the firm’s newest branch office at Swan and Sunrise Roads.