San Jose International Airport
Ernie Renzel became an important advocate for the establishment and development of a new airport to serve San Jose and the surrounding region. Renzel personally scouted land for his project. Renzel located a suitable site, which at the time was a ranch, for the future airport in the late 1930s. He negotiated a price with the ranch owner in order to purchase the land. Renzel then championed a city wide ballot measure in 1940, which passed, in order to pay for the land acquisition.
Renzel remained actively involved in the airport, even after its expansion from a municipal airport into San Jose International Airport. He served as airport commissioner from 1969 until 1977. He oversaw much of the expansion of the aiprort during his tenure as commissioner.
Renzel was honored for his work in establishing San Jose International Airport with a bust of his image, which was dedicated in Terminal C in 1994. In 2004, the airport's airfield, which includes all of the airport's taxiways and runways, were renamed in his honor.
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