It doesn't gloss over Otis Chandler's flaws, but nonetheless, I think that most people who read the book will come away with affection and respect for the man. . Otis two successors as chairman--Robert Erburu and Mark Willes--dismantled the company piece by piece, selling off almost all of its non-newspaper assets. Along with a passion for building websites, Otis is also a voracious reader. Buffum, my great-grandfather) were respected members of Long Beach society. In the early 1970s, Chandler became embroiled in an embarrassing stock scandal involving Jack Burke, '52, an old pal from Stanford. It's sad, but it's the only thing to do.". 28 Facts About Otis Chandler | FactSnippet. It is not an authorized biography, and McDougal predicts that some of his work will probably anger Chandler. Otis was not told about the sale until the deal was complete. McDougal doesnt have much feel for psychological nuance, so his account of Dorothy Chandlers relationship with her son is one of the books major gaps. But he leaves little doubt about his opinion of Chandler's accomplishments in the profession that consumed his passion and energy for 50 years. Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times, Posted on September 30, 2009 9:07 AM | 1 Comments | Permalink. "All he wants to do is help. Connect to 5,000+ Chandler profiles on Geni, Apr 21 1958 - Los Angeles, California, USA, Otis Chandler, Marilyn "missy" Chandler (born Chandler Stewart), Otis Chandler, Marilyn Jane Chandler (geb. Otis Chandler is a famous Family Member. He has a tendency to recount conversations verbatim without identifying his sources. Otis Chandler was many things, truly a southern California Renaissance man. He and his wife, Sharon, live near Memphis, Tennessee, have five children, and 15 grandchildren. The magazine was funded, in part, by the arena itself. web pages (Crawford replaced all of the interior chrome fixtures with pewter so photographers couldn't take pictures of her distorted reflection in the door handles.) Chargers general manager Tom Telesco stressed once again at the NFL Combine that removing the veteran Allen from the roster isnt an option as L.A. tries to squeeze under the salary cap. The way we read is going digital. "He didn't get any good press out of that. Norman, Harrys bland and self-effacing son, didnt so much expand the empire as secure it. I think that Otis, a fellow outdoorsman and student of history, would have appreciated that. The scion of the wealthy Chandler family who took over the Los Angeles Times and transformed it into a nationally respected publication. Or was it, as some have suggested, a palace coup engineered by members of the family who had always resented Otis and the papers newly moderate politics? (He once confided to Tom Johnson, his handpicked successor as publisher: "Together, we are going to push the New York Times off its perch.") ", So on November 3 at 6:10 p.m., more than 100 employees gathered around the city desk to listen to a philippic written by a man most of them had never met -- one of the last bona fide legends in their rapidly changing business. Otis Chandler, the family's last great newspaperman, is sitting across the table from me inside his Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife in Oxnard. Zodiac Sign: Otis Chandler was a Sagittarius. The newspaper, though, continued to be a national joke. Like a gargantuan 19th century novel, the saga of the Los Angeles Times is full of larger-than-life figures and historic sweep, betrayal and intrigue, pettiness and triumph. He never got the full credit he deserved for having taken care of the family. "He had no interest in the past" is perhaps Chandler's biggest criticism of Willes. He was certainly a great newsman; in 1999, he was named one of the 25 most influential news people of the century by Editor & Publisher magazine. He raced in the 1980-1984 seasons, with 9 career starts, and started in the Indianapolis 500 in 1981-1983. He also developed real estate and erected the famous Hollywood sign (which originally read "Hollywoodland") for one of his projects. All Rights Reserved. Despite his family's wealth his parents did not spoil him with gifts, but instead insisted he work in the 10-acre citrus ranch they owned in . Otis Chandler's Geni Profile. As an Angelino I have an affinity to the Los Angeles Times. Behind me -- dead, thank heavens -- stands an equally gigantic polar bear ("Kotzebue, Alaska; Record Book Size; February 1964") that Chandler shot, then gutted on an arctic ice floe before he and his guide dragged the 300-pound carcass back to their tiny plane, 5 miles away. Willes's deputy, publisher Kathryn Downing, was a lawyer "who had never seen a newspaper, practically, never delivered a newspaper, never worked at a paper," according to Chandler. Widening the rift was the familys general dislike of publisher Norman Chandlers wife, Dorothy (or Buffy), whom they deemed an outsider. The internet has completely changed the way we find and consume information in just 15 years, and I believe its just getting started. Otis Chandler and His Family A recorded phone conversation reveals former President Nixon's plan to investigate the Chandlers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Chandler. By the time she married Norman Chandler, her father (Charlie Buffum) and her uncle (E.E. It doesn't sound so terrible today, but it was a big deal then.". I have mixed feelings about Dorothy "Buff" Chandler. The Times, owned by one family for almost its entire existence, did more than just cheer on this extraordinary transformation. On their first formal visit to L.A., Tribune Co. vice president for publishing Jack Fuller and incoming publisher John Puerner took Chandler to dinner in Beverly Hills and solicited his opinions. ideamensch is an interview platform for entrepreneurs, makers, and doers. He knew how reporters frantically typed their stories before deadline, how editors grunted over the copy, or shipped it to rewrite, or cracked a half-approving grin when they read lively prose. Chandler's family owned a stake in the newspaper since his great-grandfather Harrison Gray Otis joined the company in 1882, the year after the Los Angeles . Since ChatGPT busted onto the scene a few weeks ago, it has elicited some sharp opinions. For example, in my town we have a public garden named for its benefactor, Mrs. Park. ", "Do I feel regret? As a blogger I couldn't help but watch the evolution of my newspaper with a psychic eye. Norman wanted to be a great man and a pillar of society, but he didn't quite have the inner fire to match that ambition. Bernheimer described Chandler's reaction in an interview with Vanity Fair: "He told them in effect to go f -- -- themselves.". If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. Was it his health, which had been acting up? So, how much is Otis Chandler worth at the age of 79 years old? Buffie also pushed her son Otis hard; as the documentary shows, she regularly told her son to remember who he was, and what he represented. My favorite story about Otis combines the two. It's an astonishing mlange of antique automobiles and motorcycles, jumbled together with huge stuffed trophy kills from Chandler's peripatetic hunting expeditions. Chandler, a world-class shot-putter, would have gone to the Olympics himself if not for a sprained wrist. McDougal, though, paints a less flattering picture. I mention the arm-wrestling idea while we are touring his museum and confide that I'm having second thoughts about it, musk ox or no. He also developed real estate and erected the famous Hollywood sign (which. I can't help but think that it's a paper without a soul, now that they have lost the family behind it. (Both of Otis Chandler's parents also attended Stanford, and a grandson named Otis Chandler graduated from the Farm in June.). By Otis own account, he had no plans to enter the family business when he was growing up. I agree! 326 Galvez Street The company's stock rose, and the Chandlers prospered. Hes a ham-fisted writer with a penchant for cliches and mixed metaphors. Once Dorothy became a Chandler, she didn't have much to do with the Buffums anymore. Alex Beam,a 1996-97 Knight fellow in journalism, is a columnist for the Boston Globe. This uniquely American saga should stir the interest of specialized distribs and worldwide fests prior to Stateside PBS tube dates. The first years of the LA Times were lawless, profitable and existed only to feed other businesses ventures that were far more profitable. . Reporters loved him. Watching the Chandlers And Their Times was jarring, comforting, educational, enlightening and a cautionary tale. His own mother, and the business allies who contributed to her beloved Music Center, pressured him to fire the Times music critic, Martin Bernheimer. Harvey was born in 1788; John in 1790. Chandler clearly blames Willes for weakening the company to the point where it became takeover prey. By the time he finished Stanford, Chandler was hooked on motorcycles, surfing, bodybuilding and hunting. In theory, he had been away from the paper for quite a while. A 10-foot-tall Kodiak bear ("October 1985; Record Size; Alaskan Peninsula"), paws and claws extended, looms behind Chandler's head. Over the years, some name-calling ensued. Under his watch, the L.A. Times opened international bureaus and hired on Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, at the same time buying several television station and the Newsday newspaper. Otis Chandlers birth sign is Sagittarius and he had a ruling planet of Jupiter. Milk Bones, business trips, sleepy But slowing down is relative. Sometimes I read Techcrunch, but my favorite Techcrunch article is about how people should read more Science Fiction. Goodreads raised a Series A round of funding from True Ventures in the summer of 2009. "His reign at the Los Angeles Times was the newspaper's Camelot," McDougal says. "Otis Chandler is angry and bitter," she said, "and he is doing a great disservice to this paper. So far, the Tribune Co. has made all the right noises about preserving the Times's autonomy, and most people believe them. The Times shaped it and took advantage of it, accruing more influence than any single newspaper or any single family should. As the Chandlers and their newspaper gained influence, every up-and-coming politician in the Southland made sure to kiss their ring. It was Downing who blundered into the notorious Staples Center controversy that contributed mightily to her and Willes's downfall. People who are born with Jupirer as the ruling planet are optimistic and have a big appetite for life. The wall had come down; the journalism, by definition, lacked editorial integrity. Otis is also well known as, The scion of the wealthy Chandler family who took over the Los Angeles Times and transformed it into a nationally respected publication. From what I'm told, however, Long Beach was seen as a backwater community by the Pasadena elite to which the Chandlers belonged. This is the right thing for us to do for the future of Times Mirror. The Chandlers kept enough stock (they owned almost 30 percent at the time of the Tribune sale) to control the company. The Timeshired away the Herald Tribune's veteran Washington bureau chief and tripled the size of its D.C. staff. Perelman wrote of being on a cross-country train ride and stopping in Albuquerque, N.M.: "I asked the porter to get me a newspaper and unfortunately the poor man, hard of hearing, brought me the Los Angeles Times.". The Chandlers and Their Times" (2009) for PBS. When the girls came around to sing Christmas carols, we would launch a water balloon bombardment from the top floor of DKE, right in the middle of their song. Chandler works out at least every other day and competes in senior bicycle races. But it was honest, blunt, plainspoken and filled with passion and conviction, and after several years of listening to the bromides of corporate-speak, the newsroom embraced the style as well as the substance of Chandler's remarks. PBS Presstour Despite the fact that he was the boss's son, Chandler literally worked his way up. Biden Not Confident Supreme Court Will Uphold Student Debt Cancellation, Celta Vigo Star Gabri Veiga Is Alerting Wealthy Teams In The Premier League, RFK Killer Sirhan Sirhan Denied Parole For 16th TimeReversing 2021 Decision, Wednesday, March 1. And the legend did not disappoint. As other newspapers were expanding into media conglomerates embracing television, movies, magazines, book publishing and the Internet, Times Mirror was shrinking. After years of cold-shoulder treatment from Willes, Chandler was flattered to be back in the loop. I said, no, I feel fine. We embrace MVP, rapid prototyping, A/B testing, and good old fashioned person to person usability testing. He was not properly worshipful of the center's acoustics and its Main Man, Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Zubin Mehta. Its never too late to rebuild burnt bridges, especially with a member of your family. But when he heard the news, he approved. It wasn't that we disliked each other," he explains. Newsweek once described him as the Midas of California. In addition to his role in the Owens Valley affair, Harry Chandler was directly or indirectly involved with the creation of the Coliseum, Olvera Street, the Salton Sea, the Biltmore Hotel, Douglas Aircraft, Chinatown, the Hollywood Bowl, the Ambassador Hotel, Hollywoodland (and therefore the Hollywood sign), Caltech, the Auto Club of Southern California and Santa Anita Race Track. Otis Chandler Family Member #234074 Most Popular Boost Birthday November 23, 1927 Birthplace California DEATH DATE Feb 27, 2006 ( age 78 ) Birth Sign Sagittarius About The scion of the wealthy Chandler family who took over the Los Angeles Times and transformed it into a nationally respected publication. Perhaps no major newspaper in American history has experienced such dramatic swings in reputation and quality, all due to the whims of the rather bizarre clan that owned it. He plans to attend his 50th Stanford reunion in the fall, where his son Harry, '75, and Harry's wife, Denise, '75, will be celebrating their 25th reunion. He spoke of doubling the Times's circulation to 2 million. By the end of his tenure, only The New York Times would have more domestic and foreign bureaus or a bigger Washington staff than the Los Angeles Times. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Michael is the son of Los Angeles Times publisher Otis Chandler and Marilyn "Missy" Chandler. New Yorker wit S.J. Willes was promising nothing less than a reinvention of the newspaper business. Otis Chandler was a Sagittarius and was born in the Silent Generation. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Was it boredom? Otis Chandler was going into the newspaper business. As young adults during the McCarthy Era, many members of this generation felt it was dangerous to speak out. Despite the presence onscreen of key Times figures such as former publisher Tom Johnson, editor Bill Thomas and Times Mirror exec Peter Fernald (as well as former Times reporter, author and Times chronicler Dennis McDougal), nobody can get to the bottom of what led Otis Chandler to his inexplicable retreat and surrender of control of the paper in the 1980s. He plunged into related businesses, like book publishing, broadcasting and forest products, and created a formidable, diversified conglomerate: the Times Mirror Co. Please check back soon for updates. Michael Otis Chandler (born April 21, 1958), is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He grew up indulging his hobbies from weightlifting to big game hunting, and narrowly missing the 1952 Helsinki Olympics due to a wrist injury. He left six children, of whom the following are descendants:[1], https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Otis_family&oldid=1059247052, This page was last edited on 8 December 2021, at 09:38. The scandal also shook Otis Chandler, prompting his first public comment on Times management in almost a decade. Was it a midlife crisis? There is an amazing tale of how Chandler was thrown from a horse at age 7 and knocked unconscious. Chinese Zodiac: Otis Chandler was born in the Year of the Rabbit. But that campaign is skimmed over in favor of a more general overview of the Chandler family as a bulwark of extreme right-wing politics, the sort that supported the anticommunist John Birch Society while also helping forge the career of Richard Nixon. ", "The statement was quintessential Otis," wrote L.A. Times media critic David Shaw in his postmortem analysis of the Staples affair: "He would be the first to admit that he's neither an intellectual nor a sparkling stylist nor a spellbinding orator, and his statement -- repetitive, rambling, at times willfully blind to the paper's ethical shortcomings under his predecessors -- was far from being a model of classic rhetoric. He looks like he could take me. The scion of the wealthy Chandler family who took over the Los Angeles Times and transformed it into a nationally respected publication. It was Normans wife, Dorothy Buffum, who was the driving force in the family. "He is not," she snapped, and they drove to another hospital. When the time came to fold the family's money-losing afternoon tabloid, the Mirror, the Chandlers cut a sweet deal: in return for closing the Mirror, which competed with the Hearst Corp.'s afternoon paper, the Chandlers got Hearst to shutter the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, the Times's morning rival. "[Washington Post publisher] Donnie Graham called me when he heard about the Tribune sale and said, 'Aren't you just wiped out? Though the General loved attention, his son-in-law preferred anonymity. Ruthless and strait-laced, he assured the Chandlers family wealth for generations to come. 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