USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > Los Angeles from the mountains to the sea : with selected biography of actors and witnesses to the period of growth and achievement, Volume III > Part 50
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American Expeditionary Forces in France. He received his honorable discharge from the General Staff at Washington, January 10, 1919.
Captain Woolwine is vice president and director of the Woolwine Metal Products Company, Incorporated, is a republican, a member of the Masonic Order, a Methodist, and belongs to the California Club, University Club, Los Angeles Athletic Club, Union League Club, City Club and Midwick Country Club. He married, October 4, 1919, Miss Lottia Clark at Ashland, Ohio.
H. L. GIESLER, junior member of the law firm of Woolwine & Giesler in the Citizens National Bank Building, was born November 2, 1881, at Wilton, Iowa, and has lived in California since 1907. He is a son of James L. and Mildred (Hilbert) Giesler.
Mr. Giesler was educated in the public schools of Iowa, graduated from Morgan Park Academy at Chicago in 1905, and for several sum- mer terms attended the University of Michigan. He studied law in the University of Iowa and the University of Southern California, and was admitted to the California bar in January, 1910.
UNIVERSAL CITY. Los Angeles itself is a name hardly more widely impressed and advertised to the peoples of the world than Universal City, which is a distinctive and unique unit in the Los Angeles district.
Universal City seven years ago existed only as a dream in the crea- tive mind of Carl Laenimle. Today it is the greatest producing unit in the world, embracing the largest space devoted exclusively to the pro- duction of motion pictures.
The history of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, so far as it relates to Los Angeles, begins with the arrival of its president, Carl Laemmle, about seven years ago, and the opening of the first Universal plant at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street on the pres- ent site of the L-KO studios. For exterior scenes and other outdoor locations space and ranches were rented as required.
Up to 1906 Carl Laemmle had been manager of a clothing busi- ness in Wisconsin. He was born in Germany in 1867 and came to the United States in 1884, gaining his early business experience as a clerk in New York and Chicago. In 1906 he opened a moving picture theater in Chicago and in the same year founded the Laemmle film service. Then. in 1912, he brought about the amalgamation of leading independent film concerns under the name Universal Film Manufacturing Company.
The rapid growth of Universal films necessitated the securing of larger quarters. In his search for a location Mr. Laemmle observed the tract of land on Lankershim Highway now known as Universal City. Its natural beauty and the many opportunities for improvement appealed to him and plans were immediately made for its acquisition.
In March, 1915, Universal City as it is today was dedicated to the silent drama. On its vast acreage there are thirty stages, three immense covered structures for the production of pictures in inclement weather, streets that represent every quarter of the globe, an animal arena, a' horse corral, a mammoth laboratory, luxurious projection theaters, cut- ting rooms, executive offices, restaurants, a hospital and the various mechanical and technical departments necessary to the conduct of this gigantic enterprise.
Within the limits of Universal City are hundreds of acres of nat- ural scenery, which, by artificial aid, has been transformed to repre-
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sent views of every character. In fact, there is no part of the world that has not been duplicated at Universal City.
About sixteen hundred people, including actors, directors, artists, clerks, mechanics and laborers, comprise the average working personnel at Universal City. As many as thirty different producing units have been at work within its environs at one time. The general offices of the company are at 1600 Broadway, New York, where hundreds of people are employed in the selling and distributing end of the enterprise.
Universal has its own branches in every important city in the United States and Canada, and its own exchanges in every civilized country in the world. To facilitate the release of Universal products on schedule time the company also maintains an immense studio and laboratory at Fort Lee, New Jersey, where several hundred people are employed.
Universal films, bearing the imprint "Made at Universal City, Cali- fornia," go to every habitable part of the globe, from the Argentine to Iceland and from Thibet to the Congo.
CLARENCE M. FULLER since leaving college has been a worker in the oil fields of California; was at one time an independent operator and is now general manager of the Richfield Oil Company.
This company was incorporated November 29, 1911, by the owners of the Los Angeles Oil Refining Company and the Kellogg Oil Company as a small concern to handle the oil production of the Santa Fe Railway. At the close of 1913 there was a general consolidation of the Los Angeles Oil Refining Company and the Kellogg Oil Company and their affiliated interests into a corporation known as the Richfield Oil Company. This corporation has enjoyed a remarkable growth. The first plant was located at Richfield, California, and later a large industry was established at Orlando. The executive officers of the company are: F. R. Kellogg, president ; C. W. Winter, vice-president ; G. J. Syminton, secretary ; J. R. Jacobs, treasurer, and Clarence M. Fuller, general manager.
Mr. Fuller is a native of Lawrence, Kansas, son of Edgar R. and Julia (Buckingham) Fuller. His father was a Congregational clergy- man and the family lived in several different localities during the boy- hood of Clarence M. He attended public schools and in 1898 came with the family to Bakersfield, California, where he graduated from the high school in 1903. For another year he attended Pomona College at Pomona, California, and also spent two years in Hiram College and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music at Oberlin, Ohio.
On returning to California Mr. Fuller went to work at Bakersfield with the firm of Barlow & Hill, oil producers. He did their general office work until 1909, when he formed a partnership with Herbert Taylor under the name Taylor & Fuller, oil producers. They dissolved partnership two years later, and Mr. Fuller then came to Los Angeles and became salesman for the National Petroleum Company. He was later promoted to manager of the Road Oil and Asphalt Department, sub- sequently became assistant general manager and then assistant to the president, and from that work entered upon his present duties in 1915.
Mr. Fuller is a member of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, is a republican and a member of the Congregational Church. June 17, 1907, at Bakersfield, he married Miss Hazel Graney, daughter of W. S. Graney, division superintendent of the Santa Fe Railroad. They have one child, Winston, who was born in 1911 and is now a student in the public schools.
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LOUIS W. MYERS, judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles county, was admitted to the bar and began practice in Chicago twenty- five years ago and has enjoyed an enviable station and rank in the law in Los Angeles for over twenty years. He has also enjoyed a number of honors outside his immediate profession.
Judge Myers was born at Lake Mills, Wisconsin, September 6, 1872, son of Jesse Hall and Elizabeth (Wsecott) Myers. His father, who was born in eastern Ohio in 1822, was a millwright by trade. On going to Wisconsin he first settled in Washington County and in 1870 moved to Lake Mills, where he had a farm and was also interested in milling in Wisconsin and Iowa. He died in 1889. He married Elizabeth West- cott in Washington County, Wisconsin, in 1861, and they had three chil- dren : Myron Erskine, who died in 1887; Addie L., wife of Dr. Frank Gordon, of Los Angeles, and Louis W.
Louis W. Myers graduated from high school in 1889, entered the University of Wisconsin and took the literary course graduating B.L. in 1893, and in 1895 received from the Law School of the University of Wisconsin his degree LL. B. He at once went to Chicago and prac- ticed law in that city with Jesse A. and Henry R. Baldwin, distinguished Chicago lawyers. In 1897 he came to Los Angeles and was busied with a large and important private practice until 1913. In that year, when the membership of the Superior Court was enlarged, he was appointed an additional judge by the Governor of California, and in 1914 was regularly elected to that office for the term of six years. He is re- garded as one of the qualified judges in the local courts of Los An- geles County.
Judge Myers is president of the University of Wisconsin Alumni Association for Southern California; is counsellor for Southern Cali- fornia Alumni Association of the Phi Beta Kappa; was president of the University Club 1917-18, and president of the City Club 1916-17. He is a member and until 1913 was a director and vice president of the Municipal League of Los Angeles. He is a member of the Los Angeles Bar Association and in politics a republican.
November 27, 1901, at Los Angeles, Judge Myers married Blanche Brown, formerly of Saginaw, Michigan. They have two children, Alice Elizabeth, a student in the Hollywood High School; and John Wes- cot, attending the Santa Monica Boulevard public school.
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JOHN A. H. KERR, a prominent member of the banking circle of Los Angeles, has had a stimulating career, one in which he has projected himself to success and responsibilities by an unbelievable amount of hard work, constant alertness for opportunity, and a service that has been altogether satisfactory.
Mr. Kerr, who is vice president and cashier of the Security Na- tional Bank of Los Angeles, was born at Lucknow, Canada, July 17, 1877, son of John and Jane (Hossack) Kerr. His ancestors all came originally from Scotland. His father, now deceased, was a merchant, and the mother is still living. When Mr. Kerr was seven years old his parents established a home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and there he had the advantages of the grammar and high schools. By training and early experience he is a lawyer, being a graduate with the degree LL. B. from Lake Forest University Law School at Chicago. He entered upon practice in that city, but after one year he gave up all that he had won in Chicago and came to California to accompany a sister, whose health
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had failed. He located at Redlands, becoming connected with the Red- lands Daily Facts. Three years later he entered banking as a bookkeeper of the First National Bank of Redlands. He was promoted to assistant cashier and left that position to become a national bank examiner. Dur- ing the ten years he was official representative for the Federal Govern- ment, Mr. Kerr acquired a large acquaintance with banks and bankers of the Pacific Coast. He resigned from the service of the Government upon his election to the office of cashier of the Security National Bank, which institution was subsequently merged with the Security Trust & Savings Bank.
Mr. Kerr married Miss Frances Cope, daughter of George M. Cope, a prominent banker of Helena, Montana. They have one daughter, Katherine Berrilla. Mr. Kerr is a member of the Los Angeles Country Club, California Club, Los Angeles Athletic Club, Los Angeles Cham- ber of Commerce, Masonic bodies of Los Angeles, including the thirty- second degree of the Scottish Rite, National Foreign Trade Council, and the Presbyterian Church. In politics he is a republican.
FRED W. HOWARD. That the rose has reached its highest perfection in form and beauty in Southern California is an obvious truth known all over the world. But while nature has been so abundant in its gifts, its work has also been supplemented by the skill and experience of men. As a rose culturist and breeder, and creator of new and remarkable types, the name of Fred W. Howard has a special distinction in Southern California, and among floriculturists has an international reputation.
In 1918, when the ships of the ocean were busy carrying such hosts of determined men and such cargoes of destructive material to the shores of France, there was also sent from Los Angeles some roses from the Howard gardens. The following is from a Paris newspaper of recent date: "To the California rose has been awarded the gold medal, the Grand Prix of the French Rose world. The annual rose competition took place Sunday as usual in the city of Paris rose gardens at Baga- telle, a chateau in the Bois de Bologne which formerly belonged to Sir Richard Wallace, by whom it was bequeathed to the city he loved so well. The Bagatelle Rose Competition is open to all growers of the allied countries and the medals awarded for the best new rose of the year. Sunday's winner, which is produced near Los Angeles, was de- veloped from the Lion rose and one bearing the name of a well-known actress of the Comedie Francaise, Mme. Segoud Weber."
Fred W. Howard was born in Los Angeles, September 1, 1873. His father, Dr. Fred P. Howard, a native of Devonshire, England, was educated in England and practiced medicine there before coming to America. He was also in the British army service. He finally settled at Los Angeles, and practiced in that city for a number of years. Dr. Howard married Caroline Huber of Louisville, Kentucky.
The great business in seeds, plant and flower culture of Howard Brothers has been in existence for twenty-five years. It is an incor- porated company, the principals being three brothers, O. W., A. P. and Fred W. Howard. Fred W. is president of the company. This is the largest house of its kind in Los Angeles. They specialize in choice flower seeds, and have a plant covering ninety-five acres at Montebello and San Fernando Valley and at Rivera. Mr. Howard has produced many striking varieties of plants and roses, and at many other times be- sides the one just noted his plant breeding efforts have won international
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recognition. He has also produced a new yellow rose, a golden yellow, called the Mrs. F. K. Rindge.
Mr. Howard married, in 1908, Miss Minnie P. Jones of Ventura. He is a republican voter and a member of the Sierra Madre Club.
FRANK SIMPSON. The early experiences of Frank Simpson, now a retired Los Angeles business man, had an important bearing upon the early history of the fruit industry of California, particularly as related to the introduction of California oranges to the larger markets of the world. Mr. Simpson for many years was a large exporter of California products to Eastern and European markets, and importer from Mexico, Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. He also has an interesting record of public service in various positions requiring counsel and effort to pro- mote the welfare of broad public undertakings.
Mr. Simpson was born at Yonkers, New York, August 9, 1855, son of Joseph and Rosetta (Ferris) Simpson. He graduated from high school at the age of seventeen, and acquired his early business training in New York City, 1873-77, as cashier and bookkeeper in the wholesale import and export dry goods business. He has been a resident of Cali- fornia over forty years. Coming here in 1878, he was cashier and man- ager at San Francisco for L. G. Sresovich & Company, exporters and im- porters of California and tropical fruits, and who also were the first and largest orange shippers of California. While so connected Mr. Simpson gained his first experience in sending this typical California product to the world markets. His connection with that branch of the business made it necessary for him to spend a large portion of his time in Los Angeles. In 1880 he established a branch house in Honolulu, and re- mained there a year. Thereafter he was in San Francisco, with fre- quent visits to Los Angeles, until 1883, when he moved to Los Angeles permanently.
About that time he became vice president and manager of the Ger- main Fruit Company of Los Angeles, and was one of the executive officials of that well-known organization until 1891, when he withdrew and started the Simpson-Montgomery Company. Mr. Simpson was president of the corporation, and in 1894 bought out the other interests, changing the name to the Frank Simpson Fruit Company. He continued this business until 1911, when he sold out, and has since been practically retired. During this time, in 1907-8 he also formed the Los Angeles Market Company and erected the Ninth Street Public Market.
For many years Mr. Simpson was president of the Los Angeles Market Company and president of the Los Angeles Wholesalers' Board of Trade, was president of the Los Angeles Credit Men's Association, and president of the Municipal League. He is also a former director of the Chamber of Commerce and director of the Jobbers' Association and of the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association. He was one of the committee of fifteen forming the Consolidation Commission of 1909, under whose guidance Los Angeles, San Pedro and Wilmington became the Seaport City of Los Angeles, is a director and vice president of the Sixth District Agricultural Association, appointed in 1918 by Governor Stephens, is also a director of the Liberty Fair and a Board of Public Service Commissioner of the city of Los Angeles, appointed by former Mayor Woodman. He served in Company F, Second Regiment, Na- tional Guard, State of California, in 1879.
His part during the World war was that of a dollar-a-year man,
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serving under Herbert Hoover in food conservation as a director of the wheat division of Los Angeles and vicinity. Mr. Simpson is a member of the California Club, Los Angeles Athletic Club, Chamber of Com- merce, Automobile Club of Southern California, Municipal League, and in politics is a republican. His office is in Room 711, Brockman Building, and his residence is at 670 Wilshire Place.
In 1882, at Los Angeles, he married Lou Etta James. Their son, Frank Simpson Jr., thirty-four years of age, received his education at the Mount Tamalpais Military Academy and the University of California, and later became treasurer of the Frank Simpson Fruit Company. Since 1915 aviation has absorbed all his time and energies. His early training was acquired under Glenn Martin, and he became the representative of the Aero Club of America in Southern California. In 1916 he entered the United States Naval Air Service and served successively as officer in charge of advanced flying at Pensacola, officer in charge of the flight school at San Diego, commanding officer of the naval air station at Key West, and aviation aide for the Western Division. He retired from active service in 1920 with the rank of lieutenant commander. Frank Simpson Jr. is a member of the Los Angeles Country Club, the University Club, San Gabriel Country Club, the Olympic Club and the Family Club of San Francisco, and the Alpha Delta Phi Club of New York City.
WILLIAM WALLACE REID has all his home affections anchored and centered at Hollywood, and while his name and work as an artist have gone abroad and for years been a vital feature on the movie screen, he would be entirely willing to have Southern California copyright him as one of its most loyal citizens.
He was born April 15, 1891, at St. Louis, Missouri. He is the son of the popular dramatic writer Hal Reid, who has written some one hundred twenty-seven popular plays in his time. William Wallace after a year at the New Jersey Military Academy at Freehold and at the age of thirteen began and completed a four-year preparatory course at Perkiomen Seminary at Pennsburg, Pennsylvania. This was followed by the work of the freshman year at Lafayette College. He had intended to enter Princeton, but the outcome of an argument between his father and himself regarding what course he should take ended in his abrupt departure for Wyoming, where he had his "roughing" experiences, work- ing on a ranch, as assistant manager of a tourist hotel, and finally with a surveying party on the Shoshone Dam.
He was back in New York at the age of eighteen, and then fol- lowed a period of reporting for the Newark Morning Star. About that time he took charge of a sketch of his father's, which had been boiled down from one of his plays. The end of the season found Mr. Reid in Chicago, where he resumed newspaper work.
Largely through his ability as a swimmer at this time he secured a position with the old Selig Company. Mr. Reid thinks that the domi- nating motive leading him into the moving picture field was curiosity. In this his initial work in the picture business he remained through the balance of the summer and fall of 1911 as character man. While Mr. Reid is not readily responsive to all the questions an interviewer put to him, he made the following concession concerning this chapter of his career: "The leading man always had to have curly hair, so that in the nine months I worked for them I only played with a straight face once ; the rest of the time I was adorned with whiskers of many shades."
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In November of that year Mr. Reid returned to New York and accepted the post of assistant editor of the Motor Magazine, one of the Hearst publications. His previous plunge into filmdom had been merely an adventure into "wonderland" for him. While assistant editor he and his father took a little studio in the old part of New York on Lower Fifth Avenue, where they collaborated a play called "The Confession." For his share the son received the motion picture rights and sold them to the Vitagraph for a lump sum, including himself in the bargain at "twenty dollars per," admitted Mr. Reid.
That was his real start in a picture career, and from the view- point of the present he regards his environment as "a sort of cradle of stars." "Norma Talmadge, Edith Storey, Carlyle Blackwell, Mabel Nor- mand, Lillian Walker all started there, while Constance Talmadge, in pigtails and short skirts, used to come visit sister Norma. Anita Stewart was one of our children in the cradle. We all started together."
Mr. Reid played his first leads at that time, though his ambition of course was solely directed to the producing end of the game. With that in view he went through every branch of the business, including camera work projection, scenario writing, in fact everything but develop- ing and printing.
From the Vitagraph he went with the Reliance and finally came to California with the Universal, a firm he left after ten weeks to obtain his first position directing at the American Film Company at Santa Barbara. Six months later he returned to the Universal, directing a company there for over a year. By that time he was being asked to impart his own individuality to the screen, and did so, directing and playing his own leads.
It was during this year that Mr. Reid married his leading lady, Miss Dorothy Davenport. After that he had a year's training with Griffith and five years ago made his last final move to the Lasky Corporation Famous Players, playing with Geraldine Farrar in her first six produc- tions.
Mr. Reid feels that a much better asset than stardom has now come to him in William Wallace, Jr., three years old June 18, 1920. The writer of this little sketch was privileged to enter the Reid home, and regards Mr. Reid's pride in his sturdy little son as most pardonable. Much might be written of Mrs. Reid's personal charm and accomplish- ments, though perhaps the biggest and best thing that can be said of her is that she gave up her career to be just a wife and mother. The whole atmosphere of the home fairly radiates wholesomeness, rest, con- tentment.
Mr. Reid's two hobbies are golf and music. Many hours are spent on the links, and he is a member of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, the Brentwood Country Club, the San Gabriel Country Club and Holly- wood Country Club. He is a member of the Elks Lodge. He was christened and confirmed in the Episcopal High Church of England.
Music is a common taste and avocation of Mr. and Mrs. Reid. Their music room is filled with nearly every conceivable instrument, and Mr. Reid acknowledges a playing acquaintance with all. Furthermore he was modestly persuaded to admit that he has his own orchestra, "for our own amusement and to use upon solicitation for various worthy charities only," of which he is director.
During the war Mr. and Mrs. Reid were much in the service for
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Uncle Sam, giving every spare moment and selling at auction everything from prize puppies to full grown mules to help the various war charities. The Reids for a year or so past have been busily planning and super- vising the erection of a very beautiful home in the Spanish style of architecture between Sunset Boulevard and De Longpre. They are en- thusiastic Californians, especially since they have a native son in the family, and Los Angeles is proud to claim permanently one of the most popular and, need we say, best loved photo players.
JOSEPH MESMER, a resident of Los Angeles for over sixty years, has many things besides a successful business record to his credit. For years he has been one of an influential though not numerous group of citizens who have had a real sense of their responsibilities to the coming years and the generations who must complete and enlarge upon the work done by this and preceding generations.
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