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{{Short description|American businessman}}
{{Short description|American real-estate developer (1899–1974)}}
{{about|the real-estate developer|the firm|Del E. Webb Construction Company}}
{{about|the real-estate developer|the firm|Del E. Webb Construction Company}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{infobox person
{{infobox person
|name = Del Webb
|name = Del Webb
|image = Delbert_Eugene_Webb.jpg
|image = Del E. Webb, 1964.jpg
|birth_name = Delbert Eugene Webb
|birth_name = Delbert Eugene Webb
|birth_date = {{birth date|1899|5|17}}
|birth_date = {{birth date|1899|5|17}}
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|spouse = Hazel Lenora Church (1919–1952)<br>Toni Ince Webb (1961–1974)
|spouse = Hazel Lenora Church (1919–1952)<br>Toni Ince Webb (1961–1974)
}}
}}

'''Delbert Eugene Webb''' (May 17, 1899 – July 4, 1974) was an American real estate developer, and a co-owner of the [[New York Yankees]] baseball club. He is known for founding and developing the [[retirement community]] of [[Sun City, Arizona]], and for many works of his firm, [[Del E. Webb Construction Company]].<ref name=oynkw>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RwQqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6ygEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7178%2C1419681 |work=Milwaukee Journal |agency=''(Los Angeles Times)'' |title=Webb, 75, dies; owned Yankees |date=July 5, 1974 |page=15, part 2}}</ref>
'''Delbert Eugene "Del" Webb''' (May 17, 1899 – July 4, 1974) was an American real-estate developer and a co-owner of the [[New York Yankees]] baseball club. He founded and developed the [[retirement community]] of [[Sun City, Arizona]], which was built by his [[Del E. Webb Construction Company]].<ref name=oynkw>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RwQqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6ygEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7178%2C1419681 |work=Milwaukee Journal |agency=(Los Angeles Times) |title=Webb, 75, dies; owned Yankees |date=July 5, 1974 |page=15, part 2 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


==Early years==
==Early years==
Webb was born in [[Fresno, California]], to Ernest G. Webb, a fruit farmer, and Henrietta S. Webb. He dropped out of high school to become a carpenter's apprentice, and in 1919, he married Hazel Lenora Church, a graduate nurse. In 1920, Webb was a [[ship fitter]], and they were living with his parents and two younger brothers in [[Placer County, California]]. At the age of 28, he suffered [[typhoid fever]], and as a result moved to [[Phoenix, Arizona]], to recover.<ref name=oynkw/>
Webb was born in [[Fresno, California]], to Ernest G. Webb, a fruit farmer, and Henrietta S. Webb. He dropped out of high school to become a carpenter's apprentice, and in 1919, he married Hazel Lenora Church, a graduate nurse. In 1920, Webb was a [[ship fitter]], and they were living with his parents and two younger brothers in [[Placer County, California]]. At the age of 28, he suffered [[typhoid fever]], and moved to [[Phoenix, Arizona]], to recover.<ref name=oynkw/>


==Career==
==Career==
In 1928, Webb began [[Del E. Webb Construction Company]]. He received many military contracts during [[World War II]], including the construction of the [[Poston War Relocation Center]] near [[Parker, Arizona|Parker]]. Poston interned over 17,000 Japanese-Americans and at the time was the third largest "city" in Arizona. Webb was associated with [[Howard Hughes]] and played golf with Hughes, [[Bing Crosby]], [[Bob Hope]] and [[Barry Goldwater]].
In 1928, Webb began Del E. Webb Construction Company. He received many military contracts during [[World War II]]. In 1942, he led the construction of the [[Poston War Relocation Center]] in Arizona, one of ten [[Japanese-American internment camps]] built during [[World War II]], which held over 17,000 internees.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/local/history/2015/04/24/arizonas-military-history-poston-memorial-monument/26201191/ | title=Arizona's Japanese-American internment camp: Thousands of U.S. Citizens were imprisoned at Poston Relocation Center }}</ref> Construction began on March 27, 1942, and was completed in three weeks. This was accomplished by a crew of 5,000 laborers working double shifts.


A former [[Semi-professional sports|semi-professional]] baseball player and a lifelong fan, Webb and partners [[Dan Topping]] and [[Larry MacPhail]] purchased the [[New York Yankees]] in 1945 for [[United States dollar|$]]2.8 million from the estate of Col. [[Jacob Ruppert|Jake Ruppert Jr.]]<ref name=oynkw/> After buying out MacPhail in October 1947, Webb and Topping remained owners of the Yankees until selling the club to [[CBS]] in 1964.<ref name=alappsl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QWtQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6xAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7124%2C1739915 |work=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=AL approves sale of Yankees to CBS |date=August 14, 1964 |page=2, part 2}}</ref> During those 20 seasons, the Yankees were in 15 [[World Series]], winning 10.<ref name=oynkw/>
A former [[Semi-professional sports|semiprofessional]] baseball player and a lifelong fan, Webb and partners [[Dan Topping]] and [[Larry MacPhail]] purchased the New York Yankees in 1945 for [[United States dollar|$]]2.8 million from the estate of Col. [[Jacob Ruppert|Jake Ruppert, Jr.]]<ref name=oynkw/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hand |first=Jack |date=January 27, 1945 |title=Del Webb and Associates Buy New York Yankees |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/117023325/ |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> After buying out MacPhail in October 1947, Webb and Topping remained owners of the Yankees until selling the club to [[CBS]] in 1964<ref name=alappsl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QWtQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6xAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7124%2C1739915 |work=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=AL approves sale of Yankees to CBS |date=August 14, 1964 |page=2, part 2 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> for $11.2 million. During those 20 seasons, the Yankees were in 15 [[World Series]], winning 10.<ref name=oynkw/>


In 1946 and 1947, [[mobster|mob boss]] [[Bugsy Siegel|Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel]] hired Webb as the [[general contractor]] for the [[Flamingo Las Vegas|Flamingo Hotel and Casino]] in [[Las Vegas]]. After boasting about his claim that he had personally killed 16 men, Siegel said to Webb, "Del, don't worry, we only kill each other", after seeing the panicked look on Webb’s face.<ref>Jennings, ''We Only Kill Each Other''. (1992). p. 17</ref><ref>The Green Felt Jungle</ref>
In 1946 and 1947, [[mobster|mob boss]] [[Bugsy Siegel|Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel]] hired Webb as the [[general contractor]] for the [[Flamingo Las Vegas|Flamingo Hotel and Casino]] in [[Las Vegas]]. After boasting about his claim that he had personally killed 16 men, Siegel said to Webb, "Del, don't worry, we only kill each other", after seeing the panicked look on Webb’s face.<ref>Jennings, ''We Only Kill Each Other''. (1992). p. 17</ref> Aside from Howard Hughes, Webb would become the largest casino owner in Nevada after his Webb Corporation acquired the Sahara Nevada Corporation and its holdings of the [[Sahara Las Vegas|Sahara]] and [[The Mint Las Vegas|Mint]] hotels in Las Vegas.<ref name=":0" />


In 1948, Webb was contracted to build 600 houses and a shopping center called Pueblo Gardens in [[Tucson, Arizona]]. [[San Manuel, Arizona]], a [[San Manuel Copper Mine|mining]] [[company town]] and currently a resort town, followed. Established in 1953, the town was built by Webb (along with M.O.W. Homes Inc.) for The Magma Copper Company. It required the building of streets, shopping centers, schools, a hospital and parks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/del-webb-corporation-history/ | title=Del Webb Corporation History | access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://tucson.com/news/local/mine-tales-san-manuel-was-once-world-s-largest-underground/article_cbe2c60f-9516-520d-bcd3-b58679c1435d.html | title=Mine Tales: San Manuel was once world's largest underground copper mine | date=Apr 14, 2014 | access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/files/dlio/files/nid1566/cr-14-a_sanmanuel_v1.pdf |title=History of the San Manuel-Kalamazoo Mine, Pinal County, Arizona | access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref> This was a prelude to [[Sun City, Arizona]], which was launched January 1, 1960, with five home models, a shopping center, recreation center and golf course. The opening weekend drew 100,000 people, ten times more than expected, and resulted in a ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine cover story.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Judith Ann |last=Trolander |title=Age 55 or Better: Active Adult Communities and City Planning |journal=Journal of Urban History |year=2011 |volume=37 |issue=6 |pages=952–974 |doi=10.1177/0096144211418435 }}</ref> In between these two projects, in 1951, Webb was given the huge contract to build the Hughes Missile Plant (now [[Raytheon]]) in [[Tucson, Arizona]].<ref>David Leighton, ''The History of the Hughes Missile Plant in Tucson, 1947-1960,'' Private Publication, 2015 [Page 5]</ref>
In 1948, Webb was contracted to build 600 houses and a shopping center called [[Pueblo Gardens]] in [[Tucson, Arizona]]. [[San Manuel, Arizona]], a [[San Manuel Copper Mine|mining]] [[company town]] and later a resort town, followed. Established in 1953, the town was built by Webb (along with M.O.W. Homes Inc.) for the Magma Copper Company. It required the building of streets, shopping centers, schools, a hospital, and parks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/del-webb-corporation-history/ | title=Del Webb Corporation History | access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://tucson.com/news/local/mine-tales-san-manuel-was-once-world-s-largest-underground/article_cbe2c60f-9516-520d-bcd3-b58679c1435d.html | title=Mine Tales: San Manuel was once world's largest underground copper mine | date=Apr 14, 2014 | access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/files/dlio/files/nid1566/cr-14-a_sanmanuel_v1.pdf |title=History of the San Manuel-Kalamazoo Mine, Pinal County, Arizona | access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref> This was a prelude to [[Sun City, Arizona]], which launched on January 1, 1960, with five home models, a shopping center, a recreation center, and a golf course. The opening weekend drew 100,000 people, 10 times more than expected, and resulted in a ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' cover story.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Judith Ann |last=Trolander |title=Age 55 or Better: Active Adult Communities and City Planning |journal=Journal of Urban History |year=2011 |volume=37 |issue=6 |pages=952–974 |doi=10.1177/0096144211418435 |pmid=22175080 |s2cid=25439269 }}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
⚫
In 1919, Webb married his childhood sweetheart, Hazel Lenora Church. They divorced in 1952. In 1961, Webb married Toni Ince, then aged 41, a buyer for [[Bullocks Wilshire]] department store in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=1962-08-03 |title=Modern Living: Man on the Cover: DEL WEBB |language=en-US |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,896473,00.html |access-date=2023-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130044731/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,896473-1,00.html |archive-date=January 30, 2023 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> Webb was elected to the [[Gaming Hall of Fame]] in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Gaming Hall of Fame |url=http://gaming.unlv.edu/hof/index.html |publisher=University of Nevada Las Vegas |access-date=August 30, 2009 |archive-date=March 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318103112/http://gaming.unlv.edu/hof/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:Del Webb Memorial Hospital.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.66|Del Webb Memorial Hospital]]
[[File:Del Webb Blvd. sign.jpg|thumb|upright=.66|Del Webb Boulevard]]

⚫
In 1919, Webb married his childhood sweetheart, Hazel Lenora Church. They divorced in 1952. In 1961, Webb married Toni Ince, then aged 41, a buyer for [[Bullocks Wilshire]] department store in [[Los Angeles]].<ref name=time>{{cite news | title=Modern Living: Man on the Cover: Del Webb | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,896473,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219065122/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,896473,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 19, 2011 | date=August 3, 1962 | access-date=May 13, 2012 | work=Time}}</ref> Toni Ince Webb lived in [[Beverly Hills, California]], until her death in 2008.

===Death and legacy===
Webb died at age 75 in [[Rochester, Minnesota]], at the [[Mayo Clinic]], following surgery for [[lung cancer]], less than two months after Topping's death.<ref name=oynkw/>

Webb was portrayed by [[Andy Romano]] in the 1991 film ''[[Bugsy]]'', as listed in film credits.

Webb was elected to the [[Gaming Hall of Fame]] in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Gaming Hall of Fame |url=http://gaming.unlv.edu/hof/index.html |publisher=University of Nevada Las Vegas |access-date=August 30, 2009}}</ref> The Del Webb Middle School, named in his honor, opened in [[Henderson, Nevada]], in 2005. A charitable foundation named for him funds medical research in Nevada, Arizona, and California.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} A main thoroughfare in Sun City is named Del Webb Boulevard.


==See also==
==Death==
Webb died at age 75 in [[Rochester, Minnesota]], on July 4, 1974, following surgery for [[lung cancer]].<ref name=oynkw/><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Hyman |first=Harold |date=1974-07-05 |title=Builder Del E. Webb Dies - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/1974/jul/05/builder-del-e-webb-dies/ |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=lasvegassun.com |language=en}}</ref>
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[[Sun City Center, Florida]]
*[[Sun City, Menifee, California]]
*[[Sun City Summerlin, Nevada]]
*[[Sun City Texas]] [[Georgetown, Texas]]


==References==
==References==
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060208060618/http://www.delwebb.com/About/History.aspx Del Webb company website history of company and man]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060208060618/http://www.delwebb.com/About/History.aspx Del Webb company website history of company and man]
*[http://www.delewebbcenter.org/ Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts]
*[http://www.delewebbcenter.org/ Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts]
*{{Find a Grave|6819111}}


{{New York Yankees owners}}
{{New York Yankees owners}}
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[[Category:American casino industry businesspeople]]
[[Category:American casino industry businesspeople]]
[[Category:American construction businesspeople]]
[[Category:American construction businesspeople]]
[[Category:American real estate businesspeople]]
[[Category:American businesspeople in real estate]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball owners]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball owners]]
[[Category:New York Yankees owners]]
[[Category:New York Yankees owners]]
[[Category:People from Fresno, California]]
[[Category:People from Fresno, California]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Phoenix, Arizona]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Phoenix, Arizona]]
[[Category:Del E. Webb buildings]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Arizona culture]]
[[Category:Arizona culture]]

Latest revision as of 00:43, 16 August 2024

This article is about the real-estate developer. For the firm, see Del E. Webb Construction Company.

Del Webb
Born
Delbert Eugene Webb

(1899-05-17)May 17, 1899
Fresno, California, U.S.
DiedJuly 4, 1974(1974-07-04) (aged 75)
Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.
OccupationReal estate developer
Known for
Spouse(s)Hazel Lenora Church (1919–1952)
Toni Ince Webb (1961–1974)

Delbert Eugene "Del" Webb (May 17, 1899 – July 4, 1974) was an American real-estate developer and a co-owner of the New York Yankees baseball club. He founded and developed the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona, which was built by his Del E. Webb Construction Company.[1]

Early years

[edit]

Webb was born in Fresno, California, to Ernest G. Webb, a fruit farmer, and Henrietta S. Webb. He dropped out of high school to become a carpenter's apprentice, and in 1919, he married Hazel Lenora Church, a graduate nurse. In 1920, Webb was a ship fitter, and they were living with his parents and two younger brothers in Placer County, California. At the age of 28, he suffered typhoid fever, and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to recover.[1]

Career

[edit]

In 1928, Webb began Del E. Webb Construction Company. He received many military contracts during World War II. In 1942, he led the construction of the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona, one of ten Japanese-American internment camps built during World War II, which held over 17,000 internees.[2] Construction began on March 27, 1942, and was completed in three weeks. This was accomplished by a crew of 5,000 laborers working double shifts.

A former semiprofessional baseball player and a lifelong fan, Webb and partners Dan Topping and Larry MacPhail purchased the New York Yankees in 1945 for $2.8 million from the estate of Col. Jake Ruppert, Jr.[1][3] After buying out MacPhail in October 1947, Webb and Topping remained owners of the Yankees until selling the club to CBS in 1964[4] for $11.2 million. During those 20 seasons, the Yankees were in 15 World Series, winning 10.[1]

In 1946 and 1947, mob boss Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel hired Webb as the general contractor for the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. After boasting about his claim that he had personally killed 16 men, Siegel said to Webb, "Del, don't worry, we only kill each other", after seeing the panicked look on Webb’s face.[5] Aside from Howard Hughes, Webb would become the largest casino owner in Nevada after his Webb Corporation acquired the Sahara Nevada Corporation and its holdings of the Sahara and Mint hotels in Las Vegas.[6]

In 1948, Webb was contracted to build 600 houses and a shopping center called Pueblo Gardens in Tucson, Arizona. San Manuel, Arizona, a mining company town and later a resort town, followed. Established in 1953, the town was built by Webb (along with M.O.W. Homes Inc.) for the Magma Copper Company. It required the building of streets, shopping centers, schools, a hospital, and parks.[7][8][9] This was a prelude to Sun City, Arizona, which launched on January 1, 1960, with five home models, a shopping center, a recreation center, and a golf course. The opening weekend drew 100,000 people, 10 times more than expected, and resulted in a Time cover story.[10]

Personal life

[edit]

In 1919, Webb married his childhood sweetheart, Hazel Lenora Church. They divorced in 1952. In 1961, Webb married Toni Ince, then aged 41, a buyer for Bullocks Wilshire department store in Los Angeles.[11] Webb was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame in 2000.[12]

Death

[edit]

Webb died at age 75 in Rochester, Minnesota, on July 4, 1974, following surgery for lung cancer.[1][6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "Webb, 75, dies; owned Yankees". Milwaukee Journal. (Los Angeles Times). July 5, 1974. p. 15, part 2.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Arizona's Japanese-American internment camp: Thousands of U.S. Citizens were imprisoned at Poston Relocation Center".
  3. ^ Hand, Jack (January 27, 1945). "Del Webb and Associates Buy New York Yankees". Newspapers.com. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "AL approves sale of Yankees to CBS". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. August 14, 1964. p. 2, part 2.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Jennings, We Only Kill Each Other. (1992). p. 17
  6. ^ a b Hyman, Harold (July 5, 1974). "Builder Del E. Webb Dies - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  7. ^ "Del Webb Corporation History". Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  8. ^ "Mine Tales: San Manuel was once world's largest underground copper mine". April 14, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  9. ^ "History of the San Manuel-Kalamazoo Mine, Pinal County, Arizona" (PDF). Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  10. ^ Trolander, Judith Ann (2011). "Age 55 or Better: Active Adult Communities and City Planning". Journal of Urban History. 37 (6): 952–974. doi:10.1177/0096144211418435. PMID 22175080. S2CID 25439269.
  11. ^ "Modern Living: Man on the Cover: DEL WEBB". Time. August 3, 1962. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  12. ^ "The Gaming Hall of Fame". University of Nevada Las Vegas. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
[edit]
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