Ernie Renzel: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
m →Early life: Typo fixing, replaced: graudated → graduated |
||
| (30 intermediate revisions by 15 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{short description|American politician}} |
|||
{{one source|date=August 2014}} |
|||
{{Infobox officeholder |
{{Infobox officeholder |
||
| name = Ernie Renzel |
| name = Ernie Renzel |
||
| native_name = Ernest Henry Renzel Jr<ref name="Name">{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gXDnAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22Ernest+Henry+Renzel%22&pg=PA329|title=The Stanford Quad|journal=Associated Students of Stanford University|volume=34|date=1927|access-date=2023-12-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-peninsula-times-tribune/119110169/|title=Stanford Couple In Divorce Suit|work=The Peninsula Times Tribune|place=Palo Alto, California|date=March 3, 1931|access-date=2023-12-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://archive.org/details/19290500/page/n109/mode/2up?q=Ernest+Henry+Renzel|title=Kappa Alpha Theta Journal|journal=Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity|volume=43|issue=4|date=May 1929|access-date=2023-12-28}}</ref> |
|||
| image = |
| image = |
||
| image_size = |
| image_size = |
||
| Line 12: | Line 13: | ||
| successor = [[Albert J. Ruffo]] |
| successor = [[Albert J. Ruffo]] |
||
| birth_name = |
| birth_name = |
||
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|8|7}}<ref name="Mercury">{{cite news |first=Sal|last=Pizarro|title=Highlights of Ernie Renzel's life|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2007/08/07/highlights-of-ernie-renzels-life/|work= [[San Jose Mercury News]] |date=August 7, 2007 |accessdate=2023-08-07}}</ref><ref name="OAC">{{cite web |title=Guide to the Ernie Renzel Papers|url=https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt4s2035zj/|work=Online Archive of California |date=2008 |accessdate=2023-12-21}}</ref> |
|||
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|8|7}} |
|||
| birth_place = |
| birth_place = |
||
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2007|9|15|1907|8|7}} |
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2007|9|15|1907|8|7}} |
||
| death_place = [[San Jose, California]] |
| death_place = [[San Jose, California]] |
||
| |
| alma_mater = [[Stanford University]] |
||
| resting_place = |
| resting_place = |
||
| party = |
| party = |
||
| spouse |
| spouse = {{plainlist| |
||
*{{marriage|Edwina Ewing |1929|1931|end=div}} |
|||
*{{marriage|Emily Hillebrand|1935}}}} |
|||
}} |
}} |
||
| ⚫ | '''Ernest H. Renzel''' (August 7, 1907 – September 15, 2007)<ref name="Mercury"/><ref name="OAC"/> was an American politician who served as the [[List of mayors of San Jose, California|mayor]] of [[San Jose, California]], from 1945 until 1946.<ref name=mn>{{cite news |first1=Julie|last1=Patel|first2=Mack|last2=Lundstrom| title='Father' of San Jose airport Renzel dies |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_6916286?nclick_check=1|work= [[San Jose Mercury News]] |date=2007-09-17 |accessdate=2007-10-07}}</ref> He was known as the "Father of the [[San Jose International Airport]]" for his work in establishing a major [[airport]] in the city.<ref name=mn/> |
||
| ⚫ | '''Ernest |
||
==Early life== |
==Early life== |
||
Ernie Renzel was born as a third-generation resident of San Jose.<ref name=mn/> His grandfather, Conrad Renzel, was a San Jose baker who gradually expanded his South First Street [[bakery]] into a [[grocery store]] in the 1860s.<ref name=mn/> Renzel's father, E.H. Renzel Sr., further expanded the family business to a [[wholesale]] grocery distributor by the 1880s.<ref name=mn/> Renzel Sr. would became vice president and manager of the family grocery firm, Keystone Co., by the turn of the 20th century.<ref name=mn/> |
|||
Renzel was |
Ernie Renzel, Jr., was born on August 7, 1907, as a third-generation resident of San Jose.<ref name=mn/><ref name="Mercury"/> His grandfather, Conrad Renzel, was a San Jose baker who gradually expanded his South First Street [[bakery]] into a [[grocery store]] in the 1860s.<ref name=mn/> Renzel's father, E.H. Renzel Sr., further expanded the family business to a [[wholesale]] grocery distributor by the 1880s.<ref name=mn/> Renzel Sr. would become vice president and manager of the family grocery firm, Keystone Co., by the turn of the 20th century.<ref name=mn/><ref name="OAC"/> |
||
Renzel was active in leadership activities while enrolled at [[San Jose High School]]. He served as [[student body president]] of the high school, joined the [[Rotary International|Rotary Club]] and held a perfect attendance record.<ref name=mn/> Renzel was also an accomplished athlete during his early years and excelled at [[basketball]], [[swimming (sport)|swimming]] and [[tennis]].<ref name=mn/> Renzel went on to study [[economics]] at [[Stanford University]] following his graduation from high school.<ref name=mn/> He graduated from Stanford in 1929<ref name="Name"/> and remained with the family grocery business after completing his degree at Stanford.<ref name=mn/><ref name="Father">{{cite web|url=https://www.flysanjose.com/sites/default/files/about/history/renzelplaqufin.pdf|title=Ernie Renzel San Jose Airprt Founding Father and Visionary|work=Fly San Jose|access-date=2023-12-21}}</ref><ref name="Mercury"/> |
|||
Renzel held a wide range of interests throughout his life including economics, athletics and classical [[Greek philosophy]].<ref name=mn/> |
Renzel held a wide range of interests throughout his life including economics, athletics and classical [[Greek philosophy]].<ref name=mn/> |
||
He married Edwina Ewing in Carmel-by-the-Sea in May 1929. They were divorced in March 1931.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-edwina-ewing/131354755/|title=Stanford Grad Sues Mate Who Called Her Dumb|work=The San Francisco Examiner|place=San Francisco, California |date=March 4, 1931|page=3|access-date=2023-12-28}}</ref> He then married Emily Hillebrand in Reno, Nevada on November 22, 1935.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/crawford-tribune-marriage-of-hillebrand/137547481/|title=Emily Hillebrand Wed Recently|work=Crawford Tribune|place=Crawford, Nebraska |date=December 13, 1935|page=1|access-date=2023-12-28}}</ref> They lived together until her death in 1999. They had five children.<ref name=mn/> |
|||
He was married to his wife, Emily Hillebrand for 63 years, until her death in 1999.<ref name=mn/> |
|||
On September 23, 2010, the residence where they resided, now recognized as the [[Ernest & Emily Renzel House]], was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Clara County, California|National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="NPS">{{cite web|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/10000773|title=Ernest & Emily Renzel House|publisher=United States Department of the Interior National Park Service |date=September 23, 2010|access-date=December 19, 2023}}</ref> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
Ernie Renzel became an important advocate for the establishment and development of a new airport to serve San Jose and the surrounding region. Renzel personally scouted land for his project. Renzel located a suitable site, which at the time was a [[ranch]], for the future airport in the late 1930s. He negotiated a price with the ranch owner in order to purchase the land.<ref name=mn/> Renzel then championed a city wide [[Initiatives and referendums in the United States|ballot measure]] in 1940, which passed, in order to pay for the land acquisition.<ref name=mn/> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Renzel remained actively involved in the airport, even after its expansion from a [[municipal]] airport into |
||
[[File:San Jose Must Have An Airport - 1929.jpeg|thumb|left|San Jose Must Have An Airport – 1929]] |
|||
Renzel became an important advocate for the establishment and development of a new airport to serve San Jose and the surrounding region. He personally scouted land for his project. In 1939, Renzel led a group that negotiated an option to buy {{convert|483|acre}} of the Stockton Ranch from the Crocker family, to be the site of San Jose's airport. Renzel led the effort to pass a city [[Initiatives and referendums in the United States|bond measure]] to pay for the land in 1940, which passed, in order to pay for the land acquisition.<ref name=mn/><ref name="Father"/><ref name="Mercury"/> In 1945, test pilot James M. Nissen and two partners leased about {{convert|16|acre|ha}} of this land to build a runway, hangar and office building for a flight school. When the city of San Jose decided to develop a municipal airport, Nissen sold his share of the aviation business and became San Jose's first airport manager. In 1949, the San Jose Municipal Airport was inaugurated. Renzel presided over the civic celebration commemorating the first airline flight.<ref name="Father"/> Renzel and Nissen were instrumental in the development of [[San Jose Municipal Airport]] over the next few decades, culminating with the 1965 opening of what later became Terminal C.<ref>[http://www.sanjoseculture.org/pub_art/documents/SJA-MasterPlan.pdf Proposed Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport Public Art Master Plan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050130132305/http://www.sanjoseculture.org/pub_art/documents/SJA-MasterPlan.pdf |date=January 30, 2005 }}, Rome Group and City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, November 16, 2004.</ref><ref>[http://www.sjc.org/AirportReport/Jan04/AR_content.html Airport Report] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040208033304/http://www.sjc.org/AirportReport/Jan04/AR_content.html |date=February 8, 2004 }}, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, 2(8), January 2004</ref><ref name="Father"/> |
|||
| ⚫ | Renzel was honored for his work in establishing San Jose International Airport with a [[bust (sculpture)|bust]] of his image, which was dedicated in Terminal C in 1994.<ref name=mn/> In 2004, the airport's [[airfield]], which includes all of the airport's [[taxiway]]s and [[runway]]s, were renamed in his honor.<ref name=mn/> |
||
| ⚫ | Renzel remained actively involved in the airport, even after its expansion from a [[municipal]] airport into San Jose International Airport. He served as airport commissioner from 1969 until 1977. He oversaw much of the expansion of the airport during his tenure as commissioner.<ref name=mn/><ref name="Father"/> |
||
| ⚫ | Renzel was honored for his work in establishing Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport with a [[bust (sculpture)|bust]] of his image, which was dedicated in Terminal C in 1994.<ref name=mn/> In 2004, the airport's [[airfield]], which includes all of the airport's [[taxiway]]s and [[runway]]s, were renamed in his honor as the "Ernest Renzel Field."<ref name=mn/><ref name="Father"/> |
||
==Political career== |
==Political career== |
||
Renzel was introduced to city politics during [[World War II]]. According to the ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]'', |
Renzel was introduced to city politics during [[World War II]]. According to the ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]'', Charlie Bigley, a San Josean taxi operator, was a major [[political boss]] in San Jose in the years before and during World War II.<ref name=mn/> Bigley was consistently able to get a majority of his supporters elected to the [[San Jose City Council]].<ref name=mn/> However, Bigley's grip on power began to slip during the war. Two incumbent [[city council]] members left the city government in order to enlist in the U.S. military during World War II.<ref name=mn/> Their departure left six of the seven city council seats open during the 1944 San Jose municipal election.<ref name=mn/> |
||
Bigley's political foes joined forces to form a group called the Progress Committee to counteract Bigley's influence in the upcoming election.<ref name=mn/> The committee's [[campaign manager]], lawyer [[Harvey R. Miller|Harvey Miller]], convinced Ernie Renzel, as well as [[Albert J. Ruffo]] and four other important San Josean figures, to run as an anti-Bigley ticket.<ref name=mn/> |
Bigley's political foes joined forces to form a group called the Progress Committee to counteract Bigley's influence in the upcoming election.<ref name=mn/> The committee's [[campaign manager]], lawyer [[Harvey R. Miller|Harvey Miller]], convinced Ernie Renzel, as well as [[Albert J. Ruffo]] and four other important San Josean figures, to run as an anti-Bigley ticket.<ref name=mn/> |
||
The Progress Committee succeeded. |
The Progress Committee succeeded. Ernie Renzel was elected in 1944 and was selected as president of the San Jose city council in 1945.<ref name=mn/> Renzel also assumed the then-unofficial title of [[List of mayors of San Jose, California|Mayor of San Jose]] simultaneously.<ref name=mn/> He remained mayor until 1946, when he was succeeded by Al Ruffo.<ref name=mn/><ref name="Father"/><ref name="Mercury"/> |
||
Renzel remained in the city council for just one term in office.<ref name=mn/> He spent the rest of his career as a "low-profile" citizen of influence in the larger San Jose community.<ref name=mn/> |
Renzel remained in the city council for just one term in office.<ref name=mn/> He spent the rest of his career as a "low-profile" citizen of influence in the larger San Jose community.<ref name=mn/> Renzel explained why he chose this lower profile career in a 1980 interview, "Sometimes you can do more from the outside than the inside."<ref name=mn/> |
||
Renzel explained why he chose this lower profile career in a 1980 interview, "Sometimes you can do more from the outside than the inside."<ref name=mn/> |
|||
His influence and works extended beyond [[San Jose City Hall]] or San Jose International Airport. For example, Renzel used his influence to purchase a property in the 1960s for the |
His influence and works extended beyond [[San Jose City Hall]] or San Jose International Airport. For example, Renzel used his influence to purchase a property in the 1960s for the San Jose Historical Landmarks Commission's historical [[museum]].<ref name=mn/> |
||
He was actively involved in several [[San Francisco Bay Area|San Jose metropolitan area]] and [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara County]] [[nonprofit]] groups throughout his lifetime. He served on the [[board of directors]] for such organizations as the |
He was actively involved in several [[San Francisco Bay Area|San Jose metropolitan area]] and [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara County]] [[nonprofit]] groups throughout his lifetime. He served on the [[board of directors]] for such organizations as the San Jose Hospital, the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury and the Santa Clara County Housing Board.<ref name=mn/> |
||
==Death== |
==Death== |
||
Ernie Renzel celebrated his 100th birthday in August 2007. |
Ernie Renzel celebrated his 100th birthday in August 2007. He died on September 15, 2007, at his home in San Jose.<ref name=mn/><ref name="Father"/> |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
| Line 66: | Line 73: | ||
{{SanJoseMayors}} |
{{SanJoseMayors}} |
||
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
|||
| NAME = Renzel, Ernest |
|||
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
|||
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American mayor |
|||
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1907 |
|||
| PLACE OF BIRTH = |
|||
| DATE OF DEATH = 2007 |
|||
| PLACE OF DEATH = |
|||
}} |
|||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Renzel, Ernest}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Renzel, Ernest}} |
||
[[Category:1907 births]] |
[[Category:1907 births]] |
||
| Line 81: | Line 79: | ||
[[Category:San Jose City Council members]] |
[[Category:San Jose City Council members]] |
||
[[Category:American centenarians]] |
[[Category:American centenarians]] |
||
[[Category:Men centenarians]] |
|||
[[Category:Stanford University alumni]] |
[[Category:Stanford University alumni]] |
||
[[Category:20th-century American politicians]] |
|||
Latest revision as of 09:42, 8 February 2024
Ernie Renzel | |
|---|---|
| Ernest Henry Renzel Jr[1][2][3] | |
| Mayor of San Jose, California | |
| In office 1945–1946 | |
| Preceded by | Earl Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Albert J. Ruffo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 7, 1907[4][5] |
| Died | September 15, 2007 (aged 100) San Jose, California |
| Spouses | Edwina Ewing
(m. 1929; div. 1931)Emily Hillebrand (m. 1935) |
| Alma mater | Stanford University |
Ernest H. Renzel (August 7, 1907 – September 15, 2007)[4][5] was an American politician who served as the mayor of San Jose, California, from 1945 until 1946.[6] He was known as the "Father of the San Jose International Airport" for his work in establishing a major airport in the city.[6]
Early life[edit]
Ernie Renzel, Jr., was born on August 7, 1907, as a third-generation resident of San Jose.[6][4] His grandfather, Conrad Renzel, was a San Jose baker who gradually expanded his South First Street bakery into a grocery store in the 1860s.[6] Renzel's father, E.H. Renzel Sr., further expanded the family business to a wholesale grocery distributor by the 1880s.[6] Renzel Sr. would become vice president and manager of the family grocery firm, Keystone Co., by the turn of the 20th century.[6][5]
Renzel was active in leadership activities while enrolled at San Jose High School. He served as student body president of the high school, joined the Rotary Club and held a perfect attendance record.[6] Renzel was also an accomplished athlete during his early years and excelled at basketball, swimming and tennis.[6] Renzel went on to study economics at Stanford University following his graduation from high school.[6] He graduated from Stanford in 1929[1] and remained with the family grocery business after completing his degree at Stanford.[6][7][4]
Renzel held a wide range of interests throughout his life including economics, athletics and classical Greek philosophy.[6]
He married Edwina Ewing in Carmel-by-the-Sea in May 1929. They were divorced in March 1931.[8] He then married Emily Hillebrand in Reno, Nevada on November 22, 1935.[9] They lived together until her death in 1999. They had five children.[6]
On September 23, 2010, the residence where they resided, now recognized as the Ernest & Emily Renzel House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10]
San Jose Mineta International Airport[edit]
Renzel became an important advocate for the establishment and development of a new airport to serve San Jose and the surrounding region. He personally scouted land for his project. In 1939, Renzel led a group that negotiated an option to buy 483 acres (195 ha) of the Stockton Ranch from the Crocker family, to be the site of San Jose's airport. Renzel led the effort to pass a city bond measure to pay for the land in 1940, which passed, in order to pay for the land acquisition.[6][7][4] In 1945, test pilot James M. Nissen and two partners leased about 16 acres (6.5 ha) of this land to build a runway, hangar and office building for a flight school. When the city of San Jose decided to develop a municipal airport, Nissen sold his share of the aviation business and became San Jose's first airport manager. In 1949, the San Jose Municipal Airport was inaugurated. Renzel presided over the civic celebration commemorating the first airline flight.[7] Renzel and Nissen were instrumental in the development of San Jose Municipal Airport over the next few decades, culminating with the 1965 opening of what later became Terminal C.[11][12][7]
Renzel remained actively involved in the airport, even after its expansion from a municipal airport into San Jose International Airport. He served as airport commissioner from 1969 until 1977. He oversaw much of the expansion of the airport during his tenure as commissioner.[6][7]
Renzel was honored for his work in establishing Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport with a bust of his image, which was dedicated in Terminal C in 1994.[6] In 2004, the airport's airfield, which includes all of the airport's taxiways and runways, were renamed in his honor as the "Ernest Renzel Field."[6][7]
Political career[edit]
Renzel was introduced to city politics during World War II. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Charlie Bigley, a San Josean taxi operator, was a major political boss in San Jose in the years before and during World War II.[6] Bigley was consistently able to get a majority of his supporters elected to the San Jose City Council.[6] However, Bigley's grip on power began to slip during the war. Two incumbent city council members left the city government in order to enlist in the U.S. military during World War II.[6] Their departure left six of the seven city council seats open during the 1944 San Jose municipal election.[6]
Bigley's political foes joined forces to form a group called the Progress Committee to counteract Bigley's influence in the upcoming election.[6] The committee's campaign manager, lawyer Harvey Miller, convinced Ernie Renzel, as well as Albert J. Ruffo and four other important San Josean figures, to run as an anti-Bigley ticket.[6]
The Progress Committee succeeded. Ernie Renzel was elected in 1944 and was selected as president of the San Jose city council in 1945.[6] Renzel also assumed the then-unofficial title of Mayor of San Jose simultaneously.[6] He remained mayor until 1946, when he was succeeded by Al Ruffo.[6][7][4]
Renzel remained in the city council for just one term in office.[6] He spent the rest of his career as a "low-profile" citizen of influence in the larger San Jose community.[6] Renzel explained why he chose this lower profile career in a 1980 interview, "Sometimes you can do more from the outside than the inside."[6]
His influence and works extended beyond San Jose City Hall or San Jose International Airport. For example, Renzel used his influence to purchase a property in the 1960s for the San Jose Historical Landmarks Commission's historical museum.[6]
He was actively involved in several San Jose metropolitan area and Santa Clara County nonprofit groups throughout his lifetime. He served on the board of directors for such organizations as the San Jose Hospital, the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury and the Santa Clara County Housing Board.[6]
Death[edit]
Ernie Renzel celebrated his 100th birthday in August 2007. He died on September 15, 2007, at his home in San Jose.[6][7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "The Stanford Quad". Associated Students of Stanford University. 34. 1927. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Stanford Couple In Divorce Suit". The Peninsula Times Tribune. Palo Alto, California. March 3, 1931. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Kappa Alpha Theta Journal". Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity. 43 (4). May 1929. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ a b c d e f Pizarro, Sal (August 7, 2007). "Highlights of Ernie Renzel's life". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
- ^ a b c "Guide to the Ernie Renzel Papers". Online Archive of California. 2008. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Patel, Julie; Lundstrom, Mack (2007-09-17). "'Father' of San Jose airport Renzel dies". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Ernie Renzel San Jose Airprt Founding Father and Visionary" (PDF). Fly San Jose. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
- ^ "Stanford Grad Sues Mate Who Called Her Dumb". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. March 4, 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Emily Hillebrand Wed Recently". Crawford Tribune. Crawford, Nebraska. December 13, 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Ernest & Emily Renzel House". United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. September 23, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ^ Proposed Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport Public Art Master Plan Archived January 30, 2005, at the Wayback Machine, Rome Group and City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, November 16, 2004.
- ^ Airport Report Archived February 8, 2004, at the Wayback Machine, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, 2(8), January 2004
.svg)
