Leonis C. Malburg - Early Life and Education

Early Life and Education

Leonis Clos Malburg was born to Raymond and Adelena Malburg at the French Hospital of Los Angeles, in Chinatown. Malburg's father was a mortuary director from San Francisco who played a prominent role in forensic examinations in the Los Angeles coroner's office. Malburg's grandfather, John B. Leonis was a Basque immigrant who founded the City of Vernon in September, 1905 with ranchers Thomas and James Furlong; his great uncle was Miguel Leonis, a California pioneer, who settled much of what is now the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County, California.

Malburg is the product of both public and private education. His early school years were spent at Third Street Elementary and John Burrows Junior High, both in Los Angeles. While he lived with his parents, Malburg spent much of his time with his grandfather who had residences in Vernon, Los Angeles, and in the Angeles National Forest. The elder Leonis was known as the no-nonsense founder of the City of Vernon, California's first and largest exclusively industrial city. In its early days, Vernon was noted for its slaughterhouses and sporting events, including professional boxing and baseball. John B. Leonis served for 45 years as a councilman for the city he co-founded. He was also the founder and president of the First Citizens Bank of Vernon. Malburg's close relationship with his grandfather influenced him to pursue his own banking career, and he eventually obtained his first banking job at First Citizens, starting as a messenger.

In 1943, Malburg was accepted to and attended the Harvard Military Academy in Los Angeles. He was highly regarded for his shooting skills and graduated a two-time champion in rifle marksmanship.

After returning from his service in the U.S. Air Force, Malburg attended Woodbury University in Los Angeles and majored in Business Administration. His fond memories and respect for Woodbury's educational excellence led Malburg to later accept an offer to join Woodbury's Board of Trustees.