Levitt, William

William Jaird Levitt (February 11, 1907–January 28, 1994), referred to as the father of American suburbia, is known for his development of several Levittowns. These massive housing developments in Long Island, New York; Bucks County, Pennsylvania; and Willingborough, New Jersey, were model communities that revolutionized the postwar housing industry in the United States. William's father, Abraham Levitt, was a self-made man who rose from poverty to become a successful real estate lawyer and investor in the 1920s. During the Depression, he established a real estate company called Abraham Levitt & Sons, to involve William and his younger brother, Alfred. While at college, they were asked to complete an upscale project, Rockville Center, which sparked William's interest in the building industry.

In 1942, Levitt gained more proficiency in fast and efficient construction processes when Levitt & Sons obtained a federal contract to build 2,350 homes for shipyard workers in Norfolk, Virginia. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy a year later and reached the rank of lieutenant. Levitt's experience with the Navy not only advanced his knowledge of mass production techniques but also gave him time to think about America's housing crisis and the opportunities for low-cost housing construction.

With $50 million in funding, Levitt's dream community for returning war veterans broke ground in Long Island, New York, in 1947. Levittown marked the beginning of modern suburbia, and William Levitt was recognized as the biggest home builder of that period. His ability to sell pieces of the American dream as a regular, inexpensive, and accessible commodity was his most significant contribution.

William Levitt's visible achievements often overshadowed his brother Alfred's talents. Shy and idealistic, Alfred, a self-taught architect, was the great designer of the homes the brothers built. It was William's financial ingenuity, competence in implementing mass production systems, and affable personality, however, that developed and sold these units by radically changing traditional industry practices. For example, he was able to bypass labor unions, resolve difficult regulation problems, and monopolize procurement and supplier chains by establishing lumberyards. One of the most controversial subjects surrounding this suburban icon was his discriminatory practices. In Levitt's early projects, people of color were barred from purchasing property, and he responded to accusations of racism by saying that this was a business move.

As a youth, William Levitt was known to have a strong desire for wealth. His reputation for producing housing units at an impressive rate of one house every 16 minutes and in 27 basic steps brought in a fortune that enabled him to live his high-profile dream. A celebrity at one time, he resided in a $3 million mansion, owned several yachts, collected expensive art pieces, and married three times.

After constructing more than 140,000 homes around the world, William sold Levitt & Sons to International Telephone and Telegraph in 1968. His later housing developments were not successful, and he ended up with enormous debt. He was 87 years old when he died in 1994, a man who left a legacy but lost a fortune.