Ben Weingart facts for kids

Ben Weingart (1888-1980) was an American real estate investor and developer. He helped build many areas in Southern California, including Lakewood, California. Ben Weingart started with nothing and became one of California's richest people. He built a fortune of almost $100 million. His charity, the Weingart Foundation, has given over $950 million to help many causes. These causes include social services, education, and community programs in Southern California.

Early Life and Challenges

Ben Weingart was born Benjamin Weingarten on September 26, 1888. His birthplace was Louisville, Kentucky. When Ben was four, his father, who was from Germany, died from tuberculosis. His mother, who was from Russia, passed away soon after. This left Ben and his two brothers, Harry and Max, as orphans.

The brothers were raised at the Hebrew Orphans Asylum in Atlanta, Georgia. Later, they were adopted by a Christian Scientist sharecropper. This family lived outside Atlanta, near Tignall. Ben became a Christian Scientist as a child. However, he also supported many Jewish causes later in his life.

Starting His Career

As a teenager, Ben Weingart traveled around the country. He worked with a salesman, selling magnifying lenses as eyeglasses in small towns. In 1906, Weingart moved to Los Angeles. He got a job as a delivery driver for a laundry company. His delivery route took him to various hotels in downtown Los Angeles. One hotel client offered him a job as a hotel manager.

Weingart eventually owned the Winchester Hotel in Los Angeles. He also owned more than 200 other hotels. He was a self-made businessman. By his early twenties, he had already become a millionaire.

Ben Weingart: The Inventor

Ben Weingart was also an inventor. He created a robot that could react to piano chords. He also developed a fast computing counter. Weingart registered patents for several other inventions. These included a vacuum cleaner designed to reach under furniture. He also designed a new kind of toilet paper holder.

Building New Communities

In 1949, Weingart teamed up with Louis Boyar and Mark Taper. They bought 3500 acres of farmland near Long Beach. This group formed the Lakewood Park Company. With money from Prudential Insurance, they built 17,000 affordable homes. These homes were in the new community of Lakewood, California.

The group also built the Lakewood Center in 1953. Two years later, Lakewood became the largest planned city in the United States. Weingart managed his real estate business from his office in Downtown Los Angeles. His company was called “Tragniew,” which is "Weingart" spelled backward. He owned or controlled many properties. These included hotels, shopping centers, office buildings, and over two hundred apartment buildings across the city.

Giving Back: The Weingart Foundation

In 1951, Ben Weingart and his wife, Stella, started what is now the Weingart Foundation. This foundation has given over $1 billion to help others. Their work focuses on "advancing racial, social and economic justice in Southern California." This means they work to make things fair for everyone in Southern California.

Personal Life

Ben Weingart met Stella Shobe in Boyle Heights. They got married in Santa Ana on April 23, 1917. Ben was 28 years old, and Stella was 35. Stella Weingart passed away on December 29, 1957.

Later Life and Legacy

Ben Weingart's health began to decline in the 1970s. He died at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Downtown Los Angeles on December 22, 1980. He was 92 years old.

Today, several buildings and organizations in Los Angeles are named after Ben Weingart. These include:

• Weingart Stadium
• Weingart Center for the Homeless