Liebold, Ernest Gustav, 1884-1956.

Ernest G. Liebold, executive secretary and business representative for Henry Ford for many years, was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 16, 1884. In 1911, James Couzens, general manager of Ford Motor Company, offered Liebold a position in a new bank created by the company, and soon after, Henry Ford asked Liebold to organize the Dearborn State Bank. By 1918, Liebold's duties included holding the power of attorney for both Henry and Clara Ford. Liebold came to wield unparalleled authority in the complex activities of the Henry Ford Office, becoming accountant and financial manager for a multitude of personal projects Henry Ford was involved in beyond the Ford Motor Company. Projects included Henry Ford Hospital; the Dearborn Independent; Detroit, Toldeo, and Ironton Railroad; Dearborn Realty and Construction Company; the Dearborn Country Club; and the purchase and operating of Ford's first and largest yacht, Sialia. Projects managed by Liebold were almost always self-supporting and profitable. He retired from Ford Motor Company in 1944 at age 60.