Ernie Renzel
Ernie Renzel | |
---|---|
Ernest Henry Renzel Jr Mayor of San Jose, California | |
In office 1945–1946 | |
Preceded by | Earl Campbell |
Succeeded by | Albert J. Ruffo |
Personal details | |
Born | [4][5] | August 7, 1907
Died | September 15, 2007 San Jose, California | (aged 100)
Spouses | Edwina Ewing
(m. 1929; div. 1931)Emily Hillebrand (m. 1935) |
Alma mater | Stanford University |
Ernest H. Renzel (August 7, 1907 – September 15, 2007)
Early life
Ernie Renzel, Jr., was born on August 7, 1907, as a third-generation resident of San Jose.
Renzel was active in leadership activities while enrolled at
Renzel held a wide range of interests throughout his life including economics, athletics and classical
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
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
Renzel remained actively involved in the airport, even after its expansion from a
Renzel was honored for his work in establishing Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport with a
Political career
Renzel was introduced to city politics during
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.
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
Death
Ernie Renzel celebrated his 100th birthday in August 2007. He died on September 15, 2007, at his home in San Jose.[6][7]
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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