In addition, he served as either president or vice-president of some, such as on the National Society Americans of Royal Descent and Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California. He died an honorable and much-revered man, by his contemporaries, on May 8, 1926 (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., p. 4; Monnette, Hunnewell, & Whipple, 1926, p. 5).
Dr. Walter Lindley (1919-1921):
Walter Lindley was a famous surgeon and author, and served as a Library Board member for a mere two years. During his lifetime, he deeply contributed to the medical community in Southern California. He was born on January 13, 1852 in Monrovia, Indiana. He was educated at Minneapolis High School and the Philadelphia School of Anatomy, in which he graduated in 1869 and 1877, respectively (Harnagel, 1971, p. 303). He earned his M.D. degree from Long Island College Hospital in 1875 and worked as a resident physician at Eastern District Hospital in Brooklyn. He moved to Los Angeles in 1875 and finished his education by earning his LL.D at St. Vincent’s College (now known as Loyola Marymount University) (Harnagel, 1971, p. 303, 312; Harper, 1913; p. 347). In 1878, he opened the Los Angeles County Hospital and was its superintendent for eight years. That same year, he became the secretary of the Los Angeles County Medical Association (Harnagel, 1971, pp. 307, 310). In 1886, he founded the medical journal The California Practitioner and wrote a book entitled California of the South (pp. 309, 313, 315). He also served as vice-president of the National Council of Charities and Corrections as well as director of the Farmers and Merchants Bank for 20 years (pp. 312, 315).
In the 1880s and 1890s, he was busy in a variety of activities. For instance, he founded the Los Angeles Orphan’s Home in and became County Physician in 1880. He then served on the Los Angeles Board of Education from 1880 to 1881. In 1882, he became the president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association (Harnagel, 1971, pp. 308, 310). He co-founded the College of Medicine at USC in 1889 and was made president of the Board of Trustees for the Whittier State School. In 1897, he opened the California Hospital and became its secretary and medical director. In addition, he was a member of the California Club and Union League, and became president of the University Club (p. 312). In 1906, he was nominated by the Republican Party as a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles. He campaigned but came in third place in the ballots; hence, he decided to no longer pursue a political career, focusing on other endeavors (Harnagel, 1971, pp. 314-15).
In 1919, he was elected to the Los Angeles’ Board of Directors; however, his term was cut short due to his death. He died on January 22, 1922, when he was merely 42 years old, and was buried in the Old Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles (Harnagel, 1971, p. 306; Harper 313, p. 348: Los Angeles Public Library, n.d, p. 1). He thus was the only member of the Library Board to have died at a young age. Within his short life, however, he had made significant achievements in the field of both medicine and education, which he will always be remembered for in Southern California (Harnagel, 1971, p. 303).
Katherine Griswold Smith (1920-1938):
Katherine Smith (née Griswold) was a poet, city official, and a member of both the Board of Directors and Board of Library Commissioners, serving for fourteen years. She was born to Marcus Plemen Griswold and Catherine Anne Nostrand on August 25, 1865 in Horicon, Wisconsin. Nothing is known about her early life; however, it is known that she was educated at both Lawrence Preparatory School and College in Appleton, Wisconsin, where her family settled after her eighth year (Los Angeles Public Library, 1934, pp. 7-9). In 1886, she finished her schooling and married a miner named J. Wells Smith. Her and her husband made frequent trips to California and visited Los Angeles in 1888. From 1890-1900, the Smiths lived in Boulder, Colorado. Katherine soon became interested in club work, joining the Fortnightly Club in her city. In 1908, she also became a member of the Friday Morning Club, becoming a prominent member and active in the clubs’ social affairs (p. 10).
The Smiths maintained a winter home in Los Angeles and spent their summers either in Colorado or in their former Wisconsin home, travelling back and forth each year. However, they decided to permanently relocate to Los Angeles in 1910, and they became residents the following year. She became interested in poetry and drama, and joined the Amateur Players Group- in which she was a member for over 25 years (Los Angeles Public Library, 1934, pp. 3. 6, 9-10). During World War I (1914-1919), Smith worked in numerous activities. She was involved in the following activities: directing the Friday Morning Club’s branch of the Needlework Guild of America, relief work with the Near East Relief and The Fatherless Children of France, the American Red Cross, and the American Ambulance in Belgium. Post-war, she was elected as a member of the Library Board, aided with the planning of the Central Library in Los Angeles (which opened on July 15, 1926) and joined the Indian Defense League of California (pp. 9-10). Shortly before World War II, she stepped down from the Board and later joined both the California and American Library Associations. From the 1930s until her death in 1946, she wrote and published her poetry. She also maintained an “active interest in the affairs” of both associations as well as in Los Angeles (pp. 6, 8-10). She was thus well-liked in her community and was refered to as “a rare soul” by those who were familiar with her (p. 3).
Edgar Neill Martin (1926-1941):
Edgar Neill Martin was president of the Board of Library Commissioners from February 1936 to July 1936; however, he was a Board member for fourteen years. Little is known about his early life- except that he was born in Mississippi, had received his education from private schools (this thus suggesting that he was born into a rich Southern family), and worked for newspapers (Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, p. 66). In 1907, he came to Los Angeles and dabbled in several different interests, such as in legal, civic, business and the arts; he was also the founder and director of the now-famous Hollywood Bowl. He served as a member of several boards in Los Angeles: the Los Angeles Community Chest, the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Braille Bible Fund, and the Civic Bureau of Music and Arts. He also was president of the Casa del Mar Club, and member of the Los Angeles Country Club and The Writers Club. The exact date and/or year of his death is unknown (p. 66).
Rufus Bernhard von KleinSmid (1936-1964):
Out of all the library board’s members in Los Angeles, Rufus B. von KleinSmid is the most celebrated and well-known. He accomplished many great things during his lifetime and was honored with medals and awards for those achievements, which were broadcasted in the Los Angeles Times (“Honor Due," 1931; “Von KleinSmid Receives Medal,” 1942). He was the longest-running member of the Library Board (for 28 years) and was involved in the most clubs and organizations. He was also one of the few board members who were prominent on the international level.
According to the Los Angeles Times, von KleinSmid was born in 1875 in Sandwich, Illinois (Main, 1964). His childhood home was the Von KleinSmid mansion, which was listed in 1985 as a historic site on the National Register of Historic Places' website. In his early years, he received private tutoring and later attended the prestigious Oberlin Academy. In 1897, at the age of 22, he was named superintendant of public schools for Illinois, a position he remained in for seven years. From 1905 to 1914, he was a professor of education and psychology at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, and was noted for his work in criminal psychology. During that time, he became the founder and first president of the American Association of Criminology. He also became an educator at Northwestern University in Chicago, where he earned his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees (Main, 1964). From 1914 to 1921, according to the Times, he served as president of the University of Arizona (“40 Relatives Fete,” 1963; Main, 1964). He resigned from that post and moved to Los Angeles, where he became president of the University of Southern California in 1921. He was elected to the library’s Board of Commissioners in 1936, where he served for twenty eight years (Main, 1964). In 1946, he became the chancellor of the University of Southern California, a post he held until the end of his life. He resigned from the Board, with much fanfare, on Wednesday March 3, 1964 in order to pay attention to his “other duties” and interests (Main, 1964; “Von KleinSmid Resigns,” 1964). On July 10, 1964, the death of Rufus B. von KleinSmid was proclaimed in major newspapers across Southern California, especially in the Los Angeles Times. Hundreds attended his funeral, from world leaders to university students. He therefore left a mark and legacy on the southern portion of the state, and some parts of the world, that still continues to be praised even down to this day (Main, 1964).
-Finn Haakon Frolich, Rufus B. Von KleinSmid (on the left) and The Trojan (USC mascot)
During his long lifetime, the philanthropic von KleinSmid was active in Southern California and contributed to its development the most out of all the Board members in history. Under his presidency, USC had a close association with the Vermont Square Branch Library, according to one of the current librarians (M. Jones, personal communication, April 6, 2010). The university flourished, or went through a “Golden Age” so to speak. According to the Times, it had expanded from 3 to 22 major structures and its assets tripled to $6, 651, 000. Its library volume grew from 29, 304 to over 142,000. Von KleinSmid founded five of its colleges, four schools (including the School of International relations), the annual Institute of World Affairs, and two major buildings that now bear his name. Enrollment at the university grew, from “less than 5,000 to more than 12, 000,” reaching over 18,000 at the time of his death. The faculty also grew, from 267 to close to 1,000 members (Main, 1964). He carefully supervised the university’s funds and endowment program at a time when many other schools were lacking in funds. He thus was a major contributor to USC’s growth and turned it into one of the best universities in the world (Main, 1964).
He was also involved in numerous clubs, state and national organizations, and associations. In addition to the public library’s board he served on the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He was a proud member of various clubs, including the notable California Club. He was also involved in charitable works and donated a lot of money to the organizations in which he served (Main, 1964). Hence, for all of his wonderful achievements at both USC and in Southern California, he was honored at luncheons and bestowed with multiple awards and medals (such as by the National Institute of Social Sciences) by associations and national governments alike (“Honored,” 1964; Main, 1964; “Von KleinSmid Receives Medal,” 1942).
Reynold Edward Blight(1938-1948):
Reynold Blight was born to John Blight and Jane Pearee on May 19, 1879 in Torrington, Devon, England. He received his early education in public schools in his hometown. In 1896, his family immigrated to the United States and he became a naturalized citizen in 1903. In 1904, he settled in Los Angeles and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1910. From 1911 to 1915 he was a member of the Los Angeles City Board, and a Sunday Morning Lecturer for the Church of the People from 1908-1922. From 1913 to 1923 he became an instructor at Southwestern University in Texas, where he ultimately earned his LL.D. in 1927 (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., pp. 1-2). During the 1930s and 1940s, he was a member of various boards and institutions in California. For instance, from 1925 to 1926, he was the president of the Public School Protective League of California. From 1929 to 1931, he was a California State Franchise Tax commissioner. From 1931 to 1932, he was a member of the Judiciary Council Committee on Administration Justice (p. 1). In July of 1936, he was elected as a member of Los Angeles’ Board of Library Commissioners by the Mayor and served for ten years. Around that time, he was already a member of both the Los Angeles Board of Education and Citizens Library Council of the California Library Association (pp. 1-2). He also was a member of several prestigious clubs, lodges, and fraternities, including: the Masonic Grand Lodge of California, Societas Resicruciana of New Jersey College, Los Angeles Athletic X, Beta Alpha Psi, Quatour Coronati Lodge in London, and was a president of the Sojourners club (pp. 1-2).
Blight was also a journalist in who wrote a plethora of articles. He was the editor of the Liberal Review from 1918 to 1919, the Masonic Digest from 1921 to 1923, and New Age Magazine (in Washington) from 1923 to 1925 (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., pg. 1). He was also the author of several books and pamphlets. All of his works were published in both England and the United States (p. 2).
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