Léon Bel (28 July 1878 – 19 July 1957) was a French businessman.

Early life

Léon Bel was born on 28 July 1878 in

Orgelet Orgelet () is a commune in the Jura department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Surrounding communes Some adjacent communes of Orgelet are: * Présilly * Senay - Hamlet of Presilly Population See also *Communes of the Jura ...

in rural France.Léon Bel
GeneaNet His father,

Jules Bel Jules Bel (30 September 1842 – 11 January 1904) was a French cheese maker. He was the founder of Groupe Bel The Bel Group (a.k.a. Groupe Bel or Fromageries Bel in French) is a multinational cheese marketer centered in France. Overview The B ...

, was a cheese maker who created the

Bel Group The Bel Group (a.k.a. Groupe Bel or Fromageries Bel in French) is a multinational cheese marketer centered in France. Overview The Bel Group is headquartered at 2 allée de Longchamp in Suresnes (near Paris). It manufactures and distributes pr ...

.Elsa Bembaron
La Vache qui rit, héroïne de la Première Guerre mondiale
''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...

'', August 10, 2012 He served in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Career

Bel took over the Bel Group from his father. With Swiss cheese makers, he learned how to make cheese that would keep. In 1921, he launched the brand known as

The Laughing Cow The Laughing Cow (french: La vache qui rit) is a brand of processed cheese products made by Fromageries Bel since 1921, and in particular refers to the brand's most popular product, the spreadable wedge. Description The cheese is a blend of cr ...

Death

He died on 19 July 1957 in Paris, France.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bel, Leon 1878 births 1957 deaths People from Franche-Comté Businesspeople from Paris Cheesemakers French military personnel of World War I