Roland E. Arnall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roland E. Arnall
United States Ambassador to the Netherlands
In office March 8, 2006 – March 7, 2008
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Clifford Sobel
Succeeded by	James Culbertson
Personal details
Born	March 29, 1939 Paris, France
Died	March 17, 2008 (aged 68) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Spouses	Dawn L. Arnall (m. 2000-2008; his death) Sally Arnall (m. 1961-1998; divorced)
Children	2

Roland E. Arnall (born March 29, 1939 – died March 17, 2008) was an American businessman and diplomat. He owned a large company called ACC Capital Holdings. He became very rich through his company, Ameriquest Mortgage. Roland Arnall also helped start and support the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an organization that fights hate and promotes human rights. From 2006 until just before he passed away, he was the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands. This means he was the main representative for the U.S. in the Netherlands.

Roland Arnall's Early Life

Roland Arnall was born in Paris, France, on March 29, 1939. His parents were Jewish and had moved to Paris from Eastern Europe. During World War II, Roland grew up in a French village. He was raised as a Roman Catholic. He did not know he was Jewish until the war ended, when he was six years old.

After the war, Roland and his family moved to Montreal, Canada. In the late 1950s, they moved to the United States. For a while, Roland sold flowers on the streets of Los Angeles, California.

Ameriquest and Business

Roland Arnall was a very wealthy owner of ACC Capital Holdings. This company was the parent company of Ameriquest. Ameriquest was once one of the biggest lenders of "sub-prime" mortgages in the United States. Sub-prime mortgages are loans given to people who might have a harder time getting a regular loan.

By the end of 2005, Ameriquest and another one of Arnall's companies, Argent, had given out nearly $75 billion in these types of loans. Roland Arnall helped create a type of loan where people could get money without their income being checked.

In early 2006, Ameriquest agreed to pay $325 million to settle issues with many states. The company had been accused of not clearly explaining loan details. They were also accused of charging too many fees and making property values seem higher than they were. This was done to help people qualify for loans.

In 2007, Roland Arnall left the mortgage business. He sold most of his company to Citigroup.

Political Support

Between 2003 and 2005, Roland Arnall and his wife helped raise a lot of money for George W. Bush's political campaigns. They raised over $12 million. This included $5 million for a group called the Progress for America Voter Fund. This group aimed to support conservative ideas.

Roland Arnall said he supported President Bush because of his views on Israel. In 2004, he was one of the top 10 people who donated money to the Republican Party.

Mrs. Arnall also helped lead the 2004 Republican Convention. She hosted a big fundraiser for Bush and Cheney at their home in Holmby Hills.

Diplomatic Role

On August 1, 2005, President George W. Bush chose Roland Arnall to be the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands. The Senate approved this choice on February 9, 2006. Roland Arnall officially became ambassador on March 8, 2006. This happened when Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands accepted his official documents.

Arnall (right) with former Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende

Ambassador Arnall meets with the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy

Roland Arnall announced he would step down as ambassador on February 21, 2008. His last day was March 7. He said he was leaving because his son was ill.

Personal Life

Roland Arnall had two children with his first wife, Sally. They were married for 37 years before divorcing in 1998.

On March 17, 2008, Roland Arnall passed away from cancer. He died at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 68 years old, just twelve days before his 69th birthday.

Links

• Ameriquest Mortgage and Privacy Law Issues
• Meet America's new ambassador to the Netherlands., Cleveland Scene magazine.
• Forbes Magazine entry for Roland Arnall
• Los Angeles Times: Roland Arnall, 68; founder of Ameriquest
• Workers Say Lender Ran 'Boiler Rooms' , Los Angeles Times, February 4, 2005
• Embassy Biography