Ernest G. Liebold

Ernest G. Liebold (March 16, 1884 – March 4, 1956) was the business representative and personal secretary of Henry Ford. A fervent antisemite, he took an active part in the antisemitic campaign conducted by the industrialist's weekly newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, from 1920 to 1927. He was also put under investigation by the United States Department of War for being a suspected German spy during the First World War.

Ernest Gustav Liebold was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 16, 1884; his parents were German Lutheran immigrants. He grew up in Detroit's German community, at a time when it was "the primary source of the city's anti-Semitism." Liebold attended Detroit's Eastern High School and graduated from Gutchess Metropolitan Business College, and subsequently worked at a number of temporary positions as a stenographer and bookkeeper before being employed by the Peninsula Savings Bank in Highland Park, Michigan. There Liebold rapidly established himself, progressing from messenger to bank officer. His strong financial acumen drew the interest of James Couzens, vice president and general manager of the Ford Motor Company, who asked him to organize the newly established Highland Park State Bank; Liebold started working there as the cashier in 1909, and was later made president of the bank. He married Clara Alicia Reich on March 17, 1910.

In 1910, after resigning from the Highland Park State Bank, Liebold was hired by Henry Ford as his personal secretary. Ford "placed great trust in the judgement of Ernest Liebold" and considered him "the best financial mind in the country." On July 13, 1918, the industrialist gave Liebold power-of-attorney for himself and his wife, Clara, hence vesting him with the authority "to handle all of his personal financial transactions, correspondence, and contracts." Liebold's office was in the Ford Motor Company, but he was paid directly by Henry Ford. His importance gradually increased over the ensuing years, and Liebold eventually came to manage "nearly all of Ford's business outside Ford Motor Company."

...
Wikipedia