Harold A. Lafount
| Harold A. Lafount | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Harold Arundel Lafount January 5, 1880 Birmingham, England |
| Died | October 21, 1952 (aged 72) Detroit, Michigan |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Utah State Agricultural College |
| Occupation | Businessman, government official |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Alma Luella Robison (m. 1903; d. 1938) Gladys MacDonald (m. 1939; d. 1943) |
| Children | Elsie (b. c. 1906) Lenore (b. 1908) Constance (b. c. 1911) Ruth (b. c. 1913). |
Harold Arundel Lafount (January 5, 1880 – October 21, 1952) was an American businessman who served on the Federal Radio Commission from 1927 to 1934. He was the father of Lenore Romney; the father-in-law of businessman and politician George W. Romney; and the maternal grandfather of businessman and politician Mitt Romney.
English-born, Lafount moved to the United States as a teenager and grew up in Utah. He managed several local businesses and was active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Appointed to the Federal Radio Commission by President Calvin Coolidge, he was in charge of the zone covering the Western United States. Lafount played an important part in developments and decisions regarding the regulation of the broadcasting industry in the U.S., favoring perspectives that saw radio broadcasting as a fundamentally commercial enterprise. He was also an early influence in making radio airtime available to political candidates and parties.
Lafount later managed a number of well-known radio stations in the northeastern United States on behalf of Arde Bulova and served as president of the National Independent Broadcasters. A licensing issue regarding a station Lafount co-owned resulted in a protracted regulatory and legal matter that was finally decided in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lafount was born in Aston town within Birmingham, England, on January 5, 1880, the son of Robert Arthur Lafount, originally from Belbroughton, Worcestershire, and mother Emily Ethel (Hewitt). He had at least one sibling, a sister called Elsie. The family came with Mormon missionaries to the United States in 1893 and settled in Utah.
Lafount gained a degree in civil engineering from Utah State Agricultural College. He returned to England as a Mormon missionary himself, arriving in Liverpool in August 1902 and being dispatched to Sheffield. However, he returned to the U.S. from Sheffield ahead of schedule in May 1903 due to illness.
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