Alphonzo Bell

Alphonzo E. Bell, Sr. ( born September 29, 1875 in Los Angeles, California, † December 27, 1947 ) was an American real estate and oil millionaire as well as a tennis player. The district he founded Bel Air in Los Angeles is named after him.

Bell graduated in 1895 in Los Angeles, Occidental College from. He lived his life in the city on the west coast. His father was James George Bell and his uncle John Edward Hollenbeck, a banker who was instrumental in the development of public transport in Los Angeles County.

The tennis career by the American Bell was extremely successful. He won two medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 1904 in St. Louis. After the semi-final defeat ( 3:6, 4:6 ) to eventual Olympic champion Beals Wright he shared with Leonard Edgar the bronze medal. In the men's doubles Alphonzo Bell lost with Robert LeRoy only in the final against Beals Wright and Edgar Leonard in two sets 4:6 4:6 and.

In the early 1920s, Bell went with his father in the oil business and established the company Bell Petroleum. He used the profits accruing therefrom to develop in West Los Angeles neighborhoods, to buy land and sell. In 1922 he founded the Nobel - district Bel Air, which is named after him.

His 1914 born son Alphonzo was a deputy in the House of Representatives of the United States.