Senftleben was born in Zurich and attended the industrial school there. From 1914 he studied geology at the University of Zurich and in 1923 wrote the dissertation “Contributions to the geological knowledge of the West Lägern and its surroundings”. Later he emigrated to California and worked there as a geologist.

[1] This article bases on Mair, Toni. Grieder, Susanne. Das Landschaftsrelief – Symbiose von Wissenschaft und Kunsthandwerk. Mit Schweizer Reliefkatalog. Verlag hier+jetzt. Baden, Schweiz. 2006. S.168.