WILLIAM J. LEVITT
Name: William Jaird Levitt
Born: February 11, 1907
Died: January 28, 1994
William Jaird Levitt (February 11, 1907 - January 28, 1994), is the real-estate
developer widely credited as the father of modern American suburbia. He
certainly did not invent the building of communities of affordable single-family
homes within driving distance of major areas of employment; yet his innovations
in providing affordable housing popularized this type of planned community in
the years following World War II.
As President of Levitt & Sons, the real-estate development company founded by
his father Abraham Levitt near the start of the Great Depression, William Levitt
oversaw all aspects of the company but design of the homes they built. Design
duties were handled by William's brother Alfred.
Prior to World War II, Levitt & Sons built mostly upscale housing on and around
Long Island, New York. After returning from the war, during which he served in
the Navy as a lieutenant in the Seabees, William Levitt saw a need for
affordable housing for the returning veterans.
Name: William Jaird Levitt
Born: February 11, 1907
Died: January 28, 1994
William Jaird Levitt (February 11, 1907 - January 28, 1994), is the real-estate
developer widely credited as the father of modern American suburbia. He
certainly did not invent the building of communities of affordable single-family
homes within driving distance of major areas of employment; yet his innovations
in providing affordable housing popularized this type of planned community in
the years following World War II.
As President of Levitt & Sons, the real-estate development company founded by
his father Abraham Levitt near the start of the Great Depression, William Levitt
oversaw all aspects of the company but design of the homes they built. Design
duties were handled by William's brother Alfred.
Prior to World War II, Levitt & Sons built mostly upscale housing on and around
Long Island, New York. After returning from the war, during which he served in
the Navy as a lieutenant in the Seabees, William Levitt saw a need for
affordable housing for the returning veterans.