Howard F. Ahmanson, Sr

Howard F. Ahmanson Sr.
Born	1906 Omaha, Nebraska
Died	June 17, 1968 Belgium
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Occupation	Businessman, philanthropist
Spouse(s)	Dorothy Johnston Grannis Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson
Children	Howard Ahmanson Jr.
Relatives	William H. Ahmanson (nephew) Robert H. Ahmanson (nephew)

Howard F. Ahmanson Sr. (1906 – June 17, 1968) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of an insurance and savings and loan association, H.F. Ahmanson & Co.. He made his fortune during the Great Depression selling fire insurance for property under foreclosure. He also bought real estate and invested in oil.

Ahmanson was born in 1906 in Omaha, Nebraska. When his father died in 1925, he moved with his family to Los Angeles, California. Enlisting in the United States Navy in 1943, he spent a year in Washington, D.C. as a procurement officer.

After returning to Los Angeles in 1945, he began investing in savings and loans. In 1947, he bought Home Building and Loan (later known as Home Savings). In an era when state and federal regulations limited branching, Ahmanson and his top executive, Kenneth D. Childs took advantage of the home construction and real estate boom around Los Angeles to make Home Savings and Loan the largest thrift in the United States.

Involved with the California Republican Party since the mid-1930s, he began to take a more active role in 1954 when his long-time friend Goodwin Knight ran for governor. With the national Republican convention slated to be held in San Francisco in 1956 and the possibility that two favorite sons—Knight and Richard Nixon—might be running for president, he became the focal point for a bitter fight within the party when Knight picked him to become vice chairman of the party. Although he was elected to the position, the fight further poisoned the relationship between Knight and Nixon. After a heart attack, he was forced to relinquish the position and withdraw from political leadership.

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