About Ernest De Koven Leffingwell: Parents, Height, Nationality

Known for movies

Short Info

Died	January 27, 1971, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States
Fact	Uncle of Peter Lawford

Ernest de Koven Leffingwell was born on December 10, 1875, in Middletown, Connecticut, to Henry Leffingwell and Emily (née de Koven) Leffingwell. He had two sisters, Emily and Katherine. His father was a successful businessman, and his mother was the daughter of composer Reginald de Koven. Ernest was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University, where he studied geology. He worked as a geologist for several years before joining his father’s business.

In 1901, Ernest married Mary Elizabeth Wadsworth, with whom he had three children: Ernest, Jr., Mary, and Elizabeth. The couple divorced in 1909. Ernest then married Helen Churchill Candee in 1910. The couple had one child, a son named Churchill.

Ernest’s business career was very successful. He was a director of several companies, including the American Smelting and Refining Company, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, and the New York Central Railroad. He was also a trustee of Yale University and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

During World War I, Ernest served as a major in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. After the war, he returned to his business career.

In the 1920s, Ernest became interested in aviation and helped to finance the development of the Lockheed Vega aircraft. He also served as the president of the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation from 1928 to 1931.

During the Great Depression, Ernest’s businesses suffered financial difficulties, and he was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1931. He then moved to California and became involved in the film industry. He served as the president of RKO Pictures from 1933 to 1935.

In his later years, Ernest wrote several books on business and economics. He died on May 11, 1940, in Hollywood, California.