Léon Bel (28 July 1878 – 19 July 1957) was a French businessman known for creating

The Laughing Cow The Laughing Cow ( ) is a brand of processed cheese products made by Fromageries Bel since 1921. The name refers in particular to the brand's most popular product, the spreadable wedge. Description The cheese is a blend of cream, milk, and fres ...

cheese brand.

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. It was created in 1973 by the merger of two former communes: Orgelet-le-Bourget and Sézéria. The town is recognized as a remarkable heritage site ...

in rural France.Léon Bel
GeneaNet His father, Jules Bel, was a cheese maker who created the

Bel Group The Bel Group ( 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), Île-de-France. (delisted on 25/01/2022) I ...

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

Le Figaro () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It was named after Figaro, a character in several plays by polymath Pierre Beaumarchais, Beaumarchais (1732–1799): ''Le Barbier de Séville'', ''The Guilty Mother, La Mère coupable'', ...

'', August 10, 2012 He served in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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

Death

He died on 19 July 1957 in Paris, France.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bel, Leon 1878 births 1957 deaths Businesspeople from Paris Cheesemakers French military personnel of World War I 20th-century French businesspeople