Harry Chandler

Harry Chandler (May 17, 1864 – September 23, 1944) was an American newspaper publisher and investor.

Early life Harry Chandler was born in Landaff, New Hampshire, the eldest of four siblings born to Emma Jane ( Little) and Moses Knight Chandler. He attended Dartmouth College, and on a dare, he jumped into a vat of starch that had frozen over during winter, which led to severe pneumonia.

As a real estate investor, he was a partner in syndicates that owned and developed much of the San Fernando Valley and the Hollywood Hills (Hollywoodland). The Hollywoodland sign was used to promote the development. Chandler's other real estate projects included Mulholland Drive, much of Dana Point, the Tejon Ranch (281,000 acres (1,140 km2) in Southern California), the Vermejo Park Ranch (340,000 acres (1,400 km2) in New Mexico), and the C&M ranch (832,000 acres (3,370 km2) in northern Baja, Mexico). At one point, those investments made him the largest private landowner in the United States, and he was meanwhile an officer or director in 35 corporations, including oil, shipping, and banking, or other California corporations.

Chandler was a notable supporter of eugenics during his time as president of the Los Angeles Times and was a member of the Human Betterment Foundation, an organization that was headed by Ezra Gosney.

A proclamation prepared for a Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Dinner - Honoring Harry Chandler (1931) included this excerpt:At six feet two, Chandler was a big man, and many stories were told of his prowess in delivering papers, tussling with trade unionists, or pitching hay on one of his many ranches. A Congregationalist in religion, he abstained from alcohol, lived frugally, and commuted by foot whenever possible. His favorite charity was the Salvation Army. He was an indefatigable worker and forthright in his editorial positions. For his comments on the court decisions in certain labor cases still in the process of appeal, he was found guilty in 1938 on two counts of contempt of court but this conviction was overturned by the United States Supreme Court. For their role in the decision, Chandler and the Times won their first Pulitzer Prize.

Personal life On February 6, 1888, Harry married Magdalena Schlador, whose brother worked at the Los Angeles Times. They had a daughter, Francesca, born April 7, 1890, and a second daughter, Alice May, born July 24, 1892. Magdalena, whom Harry called "May," died at age 29 of puerperal fever two weeks after Alice May's birth on August 4, 1892.

Chandler went on to marry Marian Otis in 1894. The dining hall was officially renamed in November 2021 to honor the educator Lee F. Browne.