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The History of the LA Times

The History of the LA Times. & the family that built it. Major General Harrison Gray Otis. Born Feb. 10, 1837 on a farm near Marietta, Ohio Youngest of 16 siblings, worked on the farm, little schooling At 14 Harrison becomes a printer ’ s apprentice for the Noble County Courier in Ohio

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The History of the LA Times

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  1. The History of the LA Times • & the family that built it

  2. Major General Harrison Gray Otis • Born Feb. 10, 1837 on a farm near Marietta, Ohio • Youngest of 16 siblings, worked on the farm, little schooling • At 14 Harrison becomes a printer’s apprentice for the Noble County Courier in Ohio • By 23 was a member of the 1960 Republican National Convention that nominated Abe Lincoln • When the Civil War broke out, Otis enlisted at a private in the Union army. • Fought in 15 battles, wounded twice cited for gallantry • Discharged as a Lieutenant Colonel, eventually had people refer to him as “General” after Philippines • worked several jobs including editor of the Grand Army Journal before coming to California.

  3. 1876: Otis comes to Santa Barbara and works as editor of the Santa Barbara Press • 1882: Otis scrapes together $6,000 & buys a quarter interest in the Los Angeles Daily Times (1st four page issue had run Dec. 4, 1881) • Became editor of the Times and editor of weekly sister publication the Mirror • Wrote many of the editorials and article for the paper for a salary of $15/week • Wife Eliza, who he married in 1859, contributed columns about women, religion and morals • 1883: Otis and H.H. Boyce become co-owners of the Times, which has now grown to 8 pages, and create the Times Mirror Company • Otis wanted to change the paper: dropped “daily”, ordered livelier headlines, added political points, columns and letters to the editor • Boyce eventually leaves and starts rival paper the Tribune • 1886: Otis buys out Boyce’s shares and makes himself president, GM & EIC

  4. LA population in the 1880’s • 1882: LA is small dusty town; pop. 5,000 • 1883: Southern Pacific Railroad comes to California with the “Sunset Route” New Orleans to California with a spur in LA • 1884: pop. increases to 12,000 • 1886: pop. increases to 100,000; the Southern Pacific, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail Roads compete in a fare war

  5. Harry Chandler • Came to California from New Hampshire. • Dropped out of Dartmouth at 17 after contacting pneumonia when he jumped into an ice covered starch vat on a dare; doctors told him to move to CA to recuperate in the sunshine • Started selling oranges in the San Fernando Valley, earned $19/day • Eventually bought up circulation list for the Times, morning Tribune and afternoon Herald • 1885: circulation dept. clerk, promoted to circulation manager • 1894: marries Otis’ daughter Marian • Went on to become V.P. and G.M. of Times before taking over as publisher • Chandler eventually helps Otis put Boyce out of business, within 2 years is able to buy up printing equipment for 5 cents on the dollar

  6. Power of the Times • 1897: formation of the Los Angeles Merchants and Manufacturers Association to keep organized labor out of LA • 1890’s: struggle over federal funds to build a breakwater in San Pedro • Southern Pacific R.R. wanted a new harbor in Santa Monica because they had waterfront interests • Times vigorously supported San Pedro, it backing was instrumental to S.P. Harbor being built, making LA a major west coast port, now the busiest in the U.S.

  7. LA and the aqueduct • 1902: Land Reclamation Act passed. Leads to the damming of nearly every major western river. Bureau of Land Management formed by executive branch • J.B. Lippincott named Bureau’s supervising engineer for California, friends with Chandler • 1903: Lippincott and J.C. Clausen begin surveying Owen Valley water • Fred Eaton & William Mulholland begin looking at the Owens Valley • Clausen believed they would use the spill from the Owens River to irrigate the surrounding land • Local farmers began relinquishing their water rights • Lippincott appraches Chandler with idea of aqueduct for LA • 1903: Chandler begins buying cheap property in the S.F. Valley

  8. Otis, Chandler, Van Nuys, Mulholland, Sherman, Huntington, Lankershim, Whitely. San Fernando Mission Land Co. formed and started buying very cheap land in the S.F. Valley • Made a deal that no one would break the story first • July 28, 1905: Times breaks the story that LA will be getting water; land Chandler has bought for about $3 million is now valued at over $120 million • The aqueduct ran over 225 miles and was built under the supervision of Mulholland, first water delivered in 1913 • 1917: July 30, Otis dies at age 80 • 1944: Harry dies with an estimated worth of $500 million

  9. July 3, 1907 Otis accused of taking bribes from Patrick Calhoun a railroad magnate.

  10. LA Times bombed • 1910: Oct.1 LA Times building is bombed leaving 20 killed and 21 injured • Brothers J.J. & J.B. McNamara are arrested for the bombing, defended by lawyer Clarence Darrow • Brothers are part of the Iron Workers Unions, one of the few strong unions in LA • The bomb went off at 1:07 a.m. in the alley outside the Times. It was meant to go off at 4 a.m. when the building would have been empty. • Damage was more than brothers thought due to natural gas main lines under the building • Bomb collapsed the side of the building, the ensuing fire destroyed the building a the one next to the Times which housed its printing press • Times called the bombing the “crime of the century” • J.B. received life in prison, J.J. received 15 years

  11. Norman Chandler • Eldest of 8 children • Married to Dorothy Buffum • Took over as publisher in 1941 • Cut employees by 10% • created 1st personnel dept. in any newspaper • Hire the best people at wages equal to or higher than current union wages; mandate stayed for 50 years • Provided medical insurance, pension plan & specialty emergency employee fund • 1964: takes the Times/Mirror Co. public • Cold War needs bring aircraft industry to LA

  12. 1973: announced Times Mirror Co. was the largest publicly held publisher in the country • 1973: dies of throat cancer, his ashes are released in Dana Point Harbor

  13. Dorothy Buffum Chandler • Had 2 children: Camilla (1925) & Otis (1927) • Harry Chandler adored her, nicknamed her “Buff” • Norman’s brothers and sister thought she wasn’t good enough • Wanted to change the Times to a modern national paper • Created Los Angeles’ Music Center • Raised $19 million to preserve the Hollywood Bowl

  14. "I was ahead of my time. I did what I did on my own with no help from anybody."

  15. Otis Chandler • Graduated from Stanford • Olympic athlete who loved to surf, hunt and lift weights • Given a seven year plan by his parents to work up to publisher of the Times • Spent time in the Air Force during the Korean War • Becomes editor of the times. Takes it from being biased paper. Demands “uncommon excellence” from his journalists • At 52, Otis turns the paper over to first non-family publisher Tom Johnson. Paper had been family run for almost century. Johnson only 5th publisher • March 2000 paper is sold to Chicago Tribune Company for $8.3 million • 2006: Feb. 27, Otis Chandler dies at age 78

  16. "My parents never forced me to be the best at whatever I do. That somehow came from within me."

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