{{Short description|American businessman}} {{Infobox person | name = Earle Swensen | birth_name = | birth_date = 14 June 1912 | birth_place = San Francisco | death_date = 1996 | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = | years_active = | known_for = Founding Swensen's | notable_works = }} '''Earle Swensen''' (14 June 1912—1996) was an American businessman who founded Swensen's, an ice cream restaurant chain.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/HERB-CAEN-These-Are-the-Items-2997871.php|title=HERB CAEN -- These Are the Items|first=Herb|last=Caen|date=January 16, 1996|website=SFGATE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=DEATHS |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/01/18/deaths/29609e9a-8c83-4a3f-b44e-2554b30f9c63/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
== Career == Swensen was born in San Francisco and grew up in the city.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/ice-cream-shop-mogul-earle-swensen-3159871.php|title=Ice cream shop mogul Earle Swensen|first=Julian|last=Guthrie|date=January 16, 1996|website=SFGATE}}</ref> During World War II, he served in the South Pacific, and during that time, learned how to make ice cream.<ref name="auto" /> In 1948, He founded Swensen's ice cream near Russian Hill, San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Copperman |first=Amy |date=2023-02-13 |title=7 ways to spend the perfect day in Russian Hill |url=https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/russian-hill-17760242.php |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}}</ref> The first store was known as See Us Freeze Ice Cream.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/obituary-earle-d-swensen-2998153.php|title=OBITUARY -- Earle D. Swensen|first=J. L.|last=Pimsleur|date=January 17, 1996|website=SFGATE}}</ref> In 1965, Swensen moved to Novato, California and developed 150 ice cream flavors.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |date=January 17, 1996 |title=Earle Swensen, 83; Led Ice Cream Chain |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/17/us/earle-swensen-83-led-ice-cream-chain.html |via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>
== Personal life == Swensen was married to Nora, who died in 1995.<ref name="auto1" /><ref name="auto" /> He died in 1996 due to heart failure.<ref name="auto" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *Ettinger, Amy (2017). ''Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Across America''
Category:1996 deaths Category:American company founders Category:Businesspeople from San Francisco Category:1912 births