Renzel, Ernest H., Jr., 1907-2007

Biographical Note

Ernest (Ernie) H. Renzel, Jr., was born in San Jose on August 7, 1907. His grandfather, Conrad Renzel, was a San Jose baker who expanded his South First Street shop to groceries in the 1860s. Ernie's father, E. H. Renzel, Sr., continued the business, and by the turn of the 20th century was vice president and manager of the Keystone Co., San Jose’s first wholesale grocery firm.

Renzel attended San Jose State Normal School and graduated from San Jose High School as president of the student body in 1925. As a member of the Crown and Shield Honor society and athlete, he played for two years on the basketball championship team of the northern coast section and won the Peninsular Athletic league tennis singles championship for San Jose High for two years.

Renzel studied economics and played on the varsity basketball and tennis teams at Stanford University, graduating in 1929. He went on to become President of E. H. Renzel Company Wholesalers. He was married to Emily Hillebrand for 63 years; they had one son and four daughters.

Renzel entered local politics during WWII. In the early 1940s, San Jose City Hall was being run by taxi-service operator Charlie Bigley, widely viewed as a political boss who could always get a majority elected to the San Jose City Council. As a result of two councilmen going to war, six of the seven council seats were left open in the 1944 election. Bigley opposers formed the Progress Committee, and its campaign manager, lawyer Harvey Miller, persuaded Renzel, Al Ruffo and four others into running. Their victory resulted in Renzel's selection as president of the council in 1945. Renzel served one term as unofficial mayor before turning the job over to Ruffo in 1946; by then, Renzel had gotten "Mayor" accepted as the title.

One of Renzel's major accomplishments was the San Jose Municipal Airport. Renzel served as Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Aviation Committee that initiated action to purchase the first tract of land for an airport in 1937. Renzel found the land himself, negotiated a price with the ranch land's owners, and the Committee spearheaded a ballot measure to pay for it. In 1940, as mayor, he exercised an option for the City to purchase 484 acres at $300 an acre. By 1946 the first airplanes were using the site, and in 1949 San Jose Municipal Airport was dedicated.

Renzel continued his airport involvement as Master of Ceremonies at airport dedication events from 1938 to 1977. He served on the San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce Special Aviation Committee, and as a Member and Chair of the San Jose Municipal Airport Commission from 1969 to 1977.

Renzel was honored on several occasions for his work as "Father of the San Jose Airport." On 2nd March, 1994, a bronze bust designed by sculptor Susan Powell was unveiled by Mayor Susan Hammer in the main lobby of San Jose Airport Terminal C following a Rotary Club of San Jose luncheon highlighting Renzel's efforts to establish the airport. The Aero Club of Northern California then passed a resolution on 28 October 2003 to name the airfield at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International airport "Ernie Renzel Field." In 2004, the San Jose City Council adopted this resolution and honored Renzel, age 97, with a ceremony at City Hall.

Renzel and his wife Emily also loaned money to the City of San Jose in 1951 to buy the land for the existing Kelley Park property, and negotiated the acquisition of the Lewis D. Bohnett collection for the San Jose Historical Museum in 1965. The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project in Kelley Park also benefited from Renzel's benefaction.

While Renzel continued his wholesale business, he was also actively involved in community affairs. He was a long-time member of the Rotary Club of San Jose, listed under "Groceries, Wholesale," served as thirty-second President in 1945 and later as Director. He was also President of the Community Chest and of Associated Wholesalers. Renzel acted as Santa Clara County grand jury foreman in 1970, and gave his service to YMCA fund drives, chamber of commerce groups, and service clubs. He was on the Board of Directors of the San Jose Hospital, the San Jose Art Museum, and the Community Foundation. Renzel was appointed Historic Landmarks Commissioner from 1967-1970 and served as Commissioner of the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara. As a former college athlete, he was a member of the Stanford Athletic Board and was issued the Distinguished Service Award in 1969.

Renzel's public service was honored in 1992, when he received the Legacy Medal from San Jose; in 1994 he received the Rotarian of the Year award. In August 2007, just before his death, Renzel was awarded the City of San Jose Commendation by Mayor Chuck Reed.

Renzel died in San Jose at the age of 100, September 15, 2007.

From the guide to the Ernie Renzel Papers, 1900-2007, (1953-2004), (History San Jose Research Library.)