Library Board Members: The First 40 Years, Part I

According to the Board of Library Commissioners’ page on the Los Angeles Public Library’s website, http://www.lapl.org/about/blc.html, the members of the Board of Library Commissioners (formerly known as the Board of Library Directors), along with the City librarian, oversee the entire operations of the Los Angeles Public Library System and its branches, including Vermont Square. It consists of a few members (usually 4-5), who are appointed by the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles (as was pointed out previously). They are given term limits; however, they may be reelected several times. Hence, there is no set amount of times a person can serve on the board; they can serve for life, provided they are continuously elected.

During the Vermont Square Branch’s first 40 years, 19 people have sat as members of the public library’s boards (Soter & Muench, 1993, p. 309). Many of these were influential and helped shaped either the history of the branch, its surrounding community, or the Southern California locale altogether . Hence, these were as follows:

Henry Myer Newmark (1909-1915):

Henry Newmark was a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Public Library from 1909 to 1915; however, he served as its president beginning in 1910. He was born in Los Angeles, California in 1877. His father, Myer J. Newmark, served on the Library Board from 1899 to1900 (Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, p. 56; Soter & Muench, 1993, p. 309). Henry attended the local public schools and was a student at the University of California from 1894 to 1898. He briefly left Los Angeles after college but later returned to launch M.A. Newmark and Company, wholesale grocers. In 1904, he became a partner in the law firm Morgan & Newmark, in which they were manufacturer representatives. In 1915, Newmark resigned from the Library Board in order to work for the Christian Science Monitor in Boston, Massachusetts (Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, p. 56).

Josefa Hodgman Tolhurst (1910-1914):

Josefa Tolhurst was a member of the Board of Directors for four years, from February 8, 1910 to July 1, 1914. She was born to Edwin C. Hodgman and Laura S. Lewis on September 17, 1864 in St. Louis, Missouri. There exists no information on her early life; however, it is noted that she was educated in the city she was born in (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., pp. 5, 7, 10). She received her degree from Lindenwood Female College (now called Lindenwood University) in the nearby city of St. Charles. She moved to Los Angeles around 1884/85 and married Shelley Tolhurst, a dentist from St. Louis, shortly afterward. Throughout her life, she was prominent in both social and club life. She was also heavily interested in civic affairs (pp. 6, 10). She was a member of clubs such as the Friday Morning Club; other than the library’s board, she was on the Board of Freeholders in which she was elected to on June 5, 1923 (pp. 6, 9, 10). She helped frame the Charter of Los Angeles; however, since she left on a world cruise a couple of days before the Charter was signed, her name does not appear on the document. In 1938, Tolhurst resigned from both social and public activities (p. 9). She died on April 11, 1956 in Los Angeles and her death was reported in the Los Angeles Times (“Obituary 5,” 1956).

Dr. Joseph Sarsfield Glass (1911-1915):

Dr. Joseph Glass was on the Board of Directors from 1911 to 1915. He was a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church and more affiliated with Utah’s history than California’s. According to the Los Angeles Tidings, he was born in 1874 to James Sarsfield and Mary Edith Kelly on March 13, 1874 in Bushnell, Illinois (Dwyer, 1974). In his early childhood, his family moved to Sedalia, Missouri, where he was educated in parochial schools (Harper, 1913, p. 220). At the age of 13, his family relocated to Pasadena, California, and he attended St. Vincent’s College (now Loyola Marymount University) in Los Angeles. In 1891, at the age of 17, he decided to join the Vincentians, a Catholic order; hence, he enrolled at St. Mary’s Apostolic College and completed his novitiate at St. Mary of the Barrens, a Vincentian historical seminary in Perryville, Missouri. For his theology, he went to Rome and studied at the prestigious Angelicum seminary. He was appointed to the priesthood by Bishop George Montgomery at the Cathedral of St. Vibiana’s in Los Angeles on August 15, 1897. He was shortly appointed as a novice master in Perryville and, at 27 years old, named president of St. Vincent’s College. In the Pacific Southwest, Dr. Glass became well-known as a gifted speaker and administrator (Dwyer, 1974; Harper, 1913, pp. 220-1).

In 1911, he became pastor at St. Vincent’s Chapel. That same year, he was elected to the Library Board by the Mayor of Los Angeles (Harper, 1913, p. 221). He spent six years planning the construction of a brand new church; however, in June 1915, he left California and became Bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, Utah. Many years later, he returned to Los Angeles for his episcopal ordination at the Los Angeles Cathedral by Edward Hanna, the Archbishop of San Francisco (Dwyer, 1974).

In his 40s, Glass began recruiting for the diocesan clergy in Salt Lake City, where the majority of the populace were Mormons. He was also a pioneer of the Liturgical Revival in the church. In 1917, he embarked on a project to renew the interior of the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, which eventually saw completion. During World War I, he was involved in the Catholic National War Council (now called the National Council of Catholic Bishops). From autumn of 1924 to New Years’ Day in 1925, he went on an extended tour of Europe, visiting places such as Rome (Dwyer, 1974).
Upon his return to the United States, he was diagnosed with cancer. He died on January 26, 1926 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Los Angeles. His death was reported in the Los Angeles Tidings, which was a bit ironic since he scarcely left a lasting influence on Southern California (Dwyer, 1974).

Professor Laird J. Stabler (1911-1914):

Laird Stabler was a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Public Library from March 14, 1911 to January 4, 1914. He was a college professor, an industrialist chemist, and city official in his lifetime (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., p. 2). He was born to Daniel Fletcher Stabler and Rachel Ann Le Sourd on August 27, 1863 in Bethany, Ohio. In his early years, he was educated in preparatory schools in his hometown. As an adult, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree at Ohio Wesleyan College, attending from 1879-1883. From 1883 to 1885, he attended graduate school at the University of Michigan and received his L.S. degree in Chemistry. He then went on to attend Purdue University from 1889 to 1890, and graduated with his Ph.C. (pp. 6-7). In 1890 and 1891, he took on post-graduate work at John Hopkins University. From 1891 to 1894, he occupied the Department Chair of Chemistry at Southwestern College in Kansas. In late 1894, he relocated to Los Angeles. He became head of the Los Angeles Board of Health from April 6 to December 7, 1909. In 1911, he joined the Board of Library Directors but stepped down nearly three years later (pg. 8). In 1915, he finished his education by ultimately receiving a Sc.D. at the University of Southern California. He later became the dean of the College of Pharmacy and Professor of Industrial Chemistry at the University of Southern California- positions he occupied for many years (pp. 7-8).

During his life, he conducted various research studies in the field of chemistry. For example, he conducted research for Los Angeles on sanitary disposal of sewage. Other studies he conducted: methods for bleaching dried fruits to meet official standards; a catalytic process for the manufacture of potassium permanganate for war needs during World War I; researched the development processes for the manufacture of artificial gas from California crude oil; method for purifying gas for domestic purposes; and a process for the disposal of the by-product’s carbon in form of briquets. Also, one of his biggest research methods involved finding methods to purify the sources of the water supply in Los Angeles. He continued to work on many different research projects and came up with ways to perfect them (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., p. 3).

Stabler was also a member of various clubs and organizations in his lifetime. He was a member of the University Club, American Chemical Society, American Pharmacy Society, and American Association of Engineers. In addition, he belonged to the Kappa Beta, Phi Delta Chi, Phi Nu Delta, Phi Lambda Upsilon, and Phi Chi fraternities (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., pp. 6-7).

Stabler’s life came to an end on November 26, 1939 at the age of 74. He had lived a long life, devoted to research in the field of chemistry (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., p. 3). Even though he never reached fame on the world-wide level like Madame Curie or Niels Bohr did, he otherwise did receive some form of recognition for his work in the Los Angeles Times (“Oldest Dean at S.C. Dies,” 1939).

Orra E. Monnette (1914-1936):

Orra Monnette became a member of the Board of Directors in 1914; however, he was its president from 1916-1936. He was the longest-running president in the Board’s history, being elected continually for 22 years. He had an excellent leadership style, a forceful personality, and an energetic advancement of civic interests that made him admirable to those in the community (Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, p. 60).

He was born in 1873 in Bucyrus, Ohio. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, a private college, in 1895. He studied law there, and was admitted to the bar a year after graduating, practicing law in both Bucyrus and Toledo, Ohio. In 1907, he moved to Los Angeles and entered into the banking industry. He became organizer and director president of several banks, such as the Citizens Trust & Savings Bank and Bank of America. He also served on several committees and director boards for banks, such as for the Bank of Italy National Trust and Savings Association (Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, p. 60).

He was a member of several different “civil, patriotic, cultural, and social organizations and clubs” (Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, p. 60). He also served on both the state and national Chambers of Commerce. Furthermore, besides the Library Board, he served as a Commissioner on the Municipal Annexation Commission, the original City Planning Commission, and the Board of Freeholders (they created L.A.’s City Charter in 1925), in which he helped insured and protected the library’s interests. In 1930, Lincoln Memorial University, located in Tennessee, conferred upon him an honorary degree in order to honor his achievements. According to the Los Angeles Post, six years later, on February 23, 1936, he passed away due to an illness (Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, p. 60; "Monnette Succumbs,” 1936).

Frances M. Harmon (later Harmon-Zahn) (1914-1920; 1922-1947):

Frances Harmon (née Sproston; married twice) served on the Library Board of Commissioners from 1922 to 1947; she was also its first female leader, being elected to the post on July 29, 1936. Before that, she was a member of the now-defunct Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Public Library (formerly Board of Trustees) from April 1914 to January 1920. When the current Library Board formed in February of 1922, she was appointed as a member of it by the city’s Mayor (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., p. 1; Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, pp. 55-6).

She was born to John Sproston and Mary DuHammell on April 9, 1876 in Virginia City, Nevada and raised in San Francisco, California. She attended several private schools and later, San Francisco High School. She later moved to Canada and married Dr. Louis Harmon (in 1921, she married Otto J. Zahn); however, they soon returned to the United States in early 1896. In the latter part of that year, she and her husband moved to Los Angles, where she became the dean of the Science and Mathematics Department at the Marlborough School for a couple of years (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., pp. 4-6). She also served on the Board of Trustees of the California State Library from 1913 until 1922 (and was the only female member), when “the State Library Management became a function of the State Department of Finance” (Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, p. 66).

During World War I, Harmon-Zahn was an active member of the community. She served on a plethora of organizations and committees, with titles such as “secretary,” “director,” and “chairman.” A few of these were: The War History Committee of Los Angeles County, Information and Library Service for the State Council of Defense, Women’s Committee of the State Council of Defense for California, State Federation of Women’s Clubs, and the Food Administration for California State Library Publicity. She also was a charter member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles City Planning Association (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., pp. 1-2). For her astounding achievements, she was thus noted to be by historians “one of the Library Board’s most efficient members” and “one of Los Angeles’ most useful citizens” (Los Angeles Public Library, 1936, p. 66).

Herman C. Kaestner (1915-1918):

Herman Kaestner served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Public Library for a mere three years- from 1915 to 1918. Oddly, there exists no biography for Kaestner and the only mention of him in the Los Angeles Times is through a short obituary. Hence, the Times mentioned the following information about him: he was an employee for the Times for 29 years; he had four siblings; he was the husband of Irene Kaestner and had one child, a daughter, one granddaughter, and two great-grandchildren (“Obituary 4,” 1966). Judging by the article’s date of May 24, 1966, it is possible that Kaestner had died sometime around then. However, this is merely speculation; it is unknown as to why there is no mention of him in public records. Perhaps he was not as influential as the rest of the Library Board members listed in this study. Whatever the case may be, his life story largely remains a mystery.

Very Reverend Monsignor Francis Joseph Conaty (1915-1948):

Francis J. Conaty was appointed a member of both the Board of Directors and Board of Library Commissioners. He joined the former in September of 1915 and served for 33 years on both, being one of the longest-running board members in the public library’s history. He was also a director of the Board for several years. He was born to Francis and Nellie Linlanne Conaty on March 19, 1880 in Taunton, Massachusetts. He attended Taunton Grammar School and Taunton High School. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts in June of 1902. After graduating, he attended the Grand Seminary in Quebec, Montréal, and later finished his education at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., pp. 1, 4-7).

In October of 1906, he settled in Los Angeles and became the pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception. He later became the pastor of the Cathedral Chapel on 8th and Valencia Streets. On April 23, 1926, he was appointed Papal Chamberlain and was bestowed with the dignified title of “Very Reverend Monsignor.” Conaty was involved in several different church activities throughout his life; as a staunch Republican, he was also involved in governmental matters. The exact date of his death is unknown; however, it is stated that the year of his death was 1950. Although he is pretty well-know, his legacy has always been overshadowed by his more famous uncle, Thomas P. Conaty, former Bishop of Monterey and Los Angeles (Los Angeles Public Library, n.d., pp. 4-8).