Leland “Lee” Franklin Caulfield, 94, passed away on October 24, 2024, in Bloomington, Ind. Born on April 26, 1930, in San Francisco, Lee grew up in Mill Valley, Calif., with his parents, Luise and John Caulfield, and three brothers.
Lee graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from University of California, Berkeley in 1953. After serving as an officer in the United States Navy, he worked as an International Marketing Manager in electric utility sales with General Electric Company.
Following Lee’s retirement, he and his second wife, harpist Eleanor Fell, founded the Vanderbilt Music Company in 1976. The company, which specializes in harp music and supplies, began in their apartment at Park Avenue and 34th Street in New York City—the old Vanderbilt Hotel. In 1985, they moved from New York City to Bloomington, Ind., to concentrate on the business and grew it to be one of the largest and most trusted brands among harpists in the country. Lee sold his interest in the company in 2012.
