Leonard Firestone
American diplomat (1907{{En dash}}1996)
title: "Leonard Firestone" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1907-births", "1996-deaths", "20th-century-american-businesspeople", "20th-century-california-politicians", "ambassadors-of-the-united-states-to-belgium", "20th-century-american-philanthropists", "american-people-of-austrian-descent", "california-city-council-members", "california-republicans", "firestone-family", "kidnapped-american-people", "kidnapped-businesspeople", "businesspeople-from-akron,-ohio", "businesspeople-from-beverly-hills,-california", "princeton-university-alumni", "the-hill-school-alumni", "united-states-navy-officers", "united-states-navy-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "american-wine-merchants"] description: "American diplomat (1907{{En dash}}1996)" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Firestone" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American diplomat (1907{{En dash}}1996) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ambassador_from | United States |
| country | Belgium |
| term_start | June 14, 1974 |
| term_end | January 20, 1977 |
| predecessor | Robert Strausz-Hupé |
| successor | Anne Cox Chambers |
| president | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| birth_name | Leonard Kimball Firestone |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Pebble Beach, California, U.S. |
| profession | |
| alma_mater | Princeton University |
| image name | Download LKF.jpg |
| children | 3, including Brooks Firestone |
| relations | Harvey S. Firestone (father) |
| Harvey S. Firestone Jr. (brother) | |
| Andrew Firestone (grandson) | |
| :: |
| image = | imagesize = | ambassador_from = United States | country = Belgium | order = | term_start = June 14, 1974 | term_end = January 20, 1977 | predecessor = Robert Strausz-Hupé | successor = Anne Cox Chambers | president = Richard Nixon Gerald Ford | birth_name = Leonard Kimball Firestone | birth_date = | birth_place = Akron, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Pebble Beach, California, U.S. | profession = | alma_mater = Princeton University | religion = | image name = Download LKF.jpg | children = 3, including Brooks Firestone | relations = Harvey S. Firestone (father) Harvey S. Firestone Jr. (brother) Andrew Firestone (grandson)
Leonard Kimball Firestone (June 10, 1907 December 24, 1996) was an American businessman, diplomat, and philanthropist.
Early life and education
He was born on June 10, 1907, in Akron, Ohio, to Harvey S. Firestone and Idabelle Smith Firestone. He was educated at The Hill School, and graduated from Princeton University in 1931, where he played golf and polo. He was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, and later became a member of Bohemian Grove.
Career
Business
After graduating from college, Firestone was employed by the family company in sales positions. In 1935, he was appointed sales manager and in 1939, became a director of Firestone. He was named president of Firestone Aviation Products Company in 1941.
He was commissioned in the United States Navy as a lieutenant, but was assigned to inactive status to become president of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in 1943. In 1966, he was the target of an abortive multimilliondollar kidnap plan. He retired as president of Firestone's California operations in 1970.
Inspired by a 10year local weather study, Firestone and two neighboring ranchers developed vineyards in Santa Ynez, California, in 1972. Firestone planted 250 acre of vines, including 60 acre of Chardonnay.
In 1975, his son Brooks decided to leave the family business and relocated his family to the Santa Ynez Valley. In partnership with his father, he founded the first commercial winery to crush grapes in Santa Barbara County. The vineyard served as the basis for the major development in California as a global source of wine.
Politics and diplomacy
A staunch Republican, Firestone was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from California in 1944 (alternate), 1948 and 1952. In 1954 he was elected to the city council of Beverly Hills.
Firestone was chairman of the Nelson Rockefeller 1964 presidential campaign. Firestone was appointed U.S. ambassador to Belgium by President Richard Nixon in 1974, and was reappointed by President Gerald Ford, serving until 1976. He was later chairman of the Richard Nixon Foundation.
In January 1977, former president Ford and Betty Ford moved into a home next to Firestone at Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage, which later led to the foundation of the Betty Ford Center.
Philanthropy
Firestone was a contributor to charities and served as president of the trustees of the University of Southern California and president of the World Affairs Council of L.A. He was a board member of several organizations.
Firestone took a particular interest in charities associated with alcohol abuse, and was cofounder of the Betty Ford Center in 1982. He was also director of the National Council of Alcoholism and also the Eisenhower Medical Center. Firestone also served on the advisory board of the ABC Recovery Center and was a major contributor to the expansion at the ABC Center.
Personal life
In 1932, he married Polly Curtis, granddaughter of journalist and diplomat William Eleroy Curtis. They had three children, including Brooks Firestone and Kimball Firestone, who owned Firestone's Culinary Tavern in Frederick, Maryland. Polly died in 1965 of cancer. He then married Barbara Knickerbocker Heatley on March 4, 1966. She died in 1985 of cancer as well. He married Caroline Hudson Lynch on January 11, 1987, His grandson is reality TV personality Andrew Firestone. Leonard Firestone was buried at Columbiana Cemetery in Columbiana, Ohio.
References
References
- (1996). "Leonard Kimball Firestone, class of 1931". [[Princeton University]].
- [http://home.planet.nl/~reijd050/organisations/Bohemian_Grove_members_list.htm Planet – 404 pagina]
- [http://akpsi.wustl.edu/famous.php Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity] {{webarchive. link. (September 12, 2006)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20101028130246/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,899100,00.html TIME]
- [http://www.abcrecovery.com/awardofmerit/default.asp ABC Recovery Center]
- "WineDay:Firestone Milestones".
- "Our History {{!}} Firestone Vineyard".
- Ausmus, William A.. (2008-06-30). "Wines and Wineries of California's Central Coast: A Complete Guide from Monterey to Santa Barbara". University of California Press.
- [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/finn-firth.html The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Finlinson to Fischel]
- [http://www.beverlyhills.org/presence/connect/CoBH/Homepage/Local+Government/City+Officials/Election+Information/LG-CL-Z_Election_Results_1950_Present City Election Results 1950–2005]
- (January 1, 1965). "The 1964 Election in California". The Western Political Quarterly.
- [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7D91730F932A25752C0A961948260 L. K. Firestone Weds Caroline Lynch – New York Times]
- [http://www.bettyfordcenter.org/news/innews/narticle.php?id=4 Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation – Betty Ford Center News]
- (30 April 1932). "FIRESTONE'S SON ENGAGED TO MARRY".
- (5 June 2024). "Former Firestone rubber executive and board member Kimball C. Firestone dies at 90".
- (January 11, 1965). "Mrs. Leonard Firestone, 55, Wife of Industrialist, Is Dead". [[New York Times]].
- (May 14, 1952). "CAROLINE HUDSON TO BE WED IN FALL; Her Engagement to Edmund C. Lynch Jr., '48 Yale Graduate, is Announced by Mother". The New York Times.
- [http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/OH/CO-buried.html Political Graveyard]
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