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James Keane Collection of Fritz Burns Biographical Materials
James Keane Collection of Fritz Burns Biographical Materials
THE THOMAS AND DOROTHY LEAVEY CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LOS ANGELES RESEARCH COLLECTION
JAMES KEANE COLLECTION OF FRITZ BURNS BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 1923-2001 (CSLA-24)
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
COLLECTION TITLE AND NUMBER: James Keane Collection of Fritz Burns Biographical Materials, 1923-2001. CSLA-24
ACCESSION NUMBER: 2002.17; gift of James Keane
COLLECTION SIZE: 4 archival document boxes; 2 flat files
PROCESSING HISTORY: Processed by Susan Jones. Collection guide written by Susan Jones; edited by Clay Stalls, Department of Archives and Special Collections.
RELATED COLLECTIONS: Fritz Burns Papers, 1939-1973. CSLA-2; Fritz Burns Papers, 1899-ca. 1980. CSLA-4
The James Keane Collection of Fritz Burns Biographical Materials consists of materials compiled by Keane during his research and writing of a biography of Fritz B. Burns (1899-1979), a major real estate developer in Southern California who was involved in the development of Westchester, Playa del Rey, Windsor Hills, Panorama City, and parts of North Hollywood. Keane's biography of Burns, entitled Fritz B. Burns and the Development of Los Angeles: The Biography of a Community Developer and Philanthropist, was published in 2001 jointly by Loyola Marymount University and the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles, and the Historical Society of Southern California. This collection, which Keane donated to the CSLA Research Collection in 2002, provides valuable witness to the history of post-war housing development in the Los Angeles area.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION: This collection's holdings include copies of Keane's manuscript and his typewritten research notes, newspaper clippings, flyers and brochures, taped interviews and photographs. Items of particular interest include Keane's manuscript with editorial comments, photocopies of newspaper clippings regarding the life of Fritz Burns and news items regarding Los Angles City Housing Authority official Frank Wilkinson, who was fired in 1952, after refusing to answer questions from the California State Un-American Activities Committee. Also included in this collection are brochures and flyers for Burns development projects such as Palisades Del Rey, Riverside Ranchos, Del Rey Hills, Hastings Ranch and Windsor Hills, and copies of personal and business correspondence of Fritz Burns. The materials in this collection range in date from 1923 to 2001; however, the bulk of the collection dates from 2000 to 2001.
James Keane's original filing system has been preserved as closely as possible. The collection contains twenty-two micro-cassette tapes of interviews recorded during Keane's research for the book. Please note that the Research Collection lacks a machine capable of playing them.
RESEARCH ACCESS: The collection is open for research by appointment with no restrictions under the conditions of the access policy of the Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To schedule an appointment, please call the Department of Archives and Special Collections at 310-338-5710 or 310-338-5357, or email the department: Special.Collections@lmu.edu. The Research Collection is a program of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles.
1 | 1-2 | Draft copy of manuscript Mr. Housing, U.S.A. Fritz B. Burns by James Thomas Keane | 02/15/2001 |
1 | 3-4 | Copy of James Thomas Keane's manuscript Mr. Housing, U.S.A. Fritz B. Burns with corrections by Michael E. Engh, S. J. | 3/20/2001 |
1 | 5 | Correspondence re Fritz B. Burns biography from Fritz B. Burns Foundation, Loyola Marymount University, Historical Society of Southern California, the Huntington Library and the Arthur H. Clark Company and copy of the book production agreement | 2000-2001 |
1 | 6 | Fax copy of introduction to Keane's Fritz B. Burns biography written by Dr. Kevin Starr | 06/2001 |
1 | 7 | Signed "Authorization for Use of Recorded Statements" for interviews conducted by James Keane | 2001 |
2 | 1 | James Keane's typed notes compiled from his research using Loyola Marymount University's Center for the Study of Los Angeles Research Collection CSLA-2: Fritz B. Burns Collection | 2001, N.D. |
2 | 2 | James Keane's typed notes compiled from his research using Loyola Marymount University's Center for the Study of Los Angeles Research Collection CSLA-4: Fritz B. Burns Collection | 2001, N.D. |
2 | 3 | James Keane's typed notes compiled from his research using uncatalogued materials from Loyola Marymount University's Archives | 2001, N.D. |
2 | 4 | James Keane's typed notes compiled from his research using the Henry Kaiser and Eugene Trefethen Collections, UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library | 2001, N.D. |
2 | 5 | Research materials for Burns biography: marriage certificate and baptismal information, typed interview with Bill Hannon, and Fritz B. Burns Foundation giving records | 1983-2001, N.D. |
2 | 6 | Photocopies of Fritz B. Burns's business and personal corr. and other assorted corr. containing reference to Fritz B. Burns | 1954-1980, 2001 |
2 | 7 | Photocopies of newspaper articles re Fritz B. Burns and his associates | 1939-1991 (dates broken) |
2 | 8 | Photocopies of newspaper obituaries for Fritz B. Burns | 1979 |
2 | 9 | Photocopy of report, Postwar Housing in California | 1945 |
2 | 10 | Photocopies of magazine articles and individual book chapters re Fritz B. Burns and the building industry | 1957-1998 (dates broken) |
3 | 1 | Photocopies of 1945 Southern California Gas Company Annual Report, various short biographies of Fritz B. Burns, brochures for Kaiser and Schulte homes, March 2000 issue of Los Angeles Magazine | 1945, 1949, 2000, N.D. |
3 | 2 | March 1947 issue of Forum, the Magazine of Building | 1947 |
3 | 3 | Newspaper clippings re Fritz B. Burns housing developments | 1944-1951 |
3 | 4 | 1 black & white photograph (torn) of group of men on horseback | N.D. |
3 | 5 | 1 black & white photograph of the interior of the Kaiser factory | 1946 |
3 | 6 | 1 black & white photograph of Fritz B. Burns (10 yrs old) and his brother Robert S. Burns (6 yrs old) | 1909 |
3 | 7 | 1 black & white photograph of Fritz B. Burns and Fred Marlow | N.D. |
3 | 8 | Photocopy of 2 photographs of Marlow-Burns Small Defense House | 1942 |
3 | 9-13 | Flyers and brochures advertising various Burns housing developments, including: Palisades Del Rey, Highway Highlands, Hollywood Riviera, Del Rey Hills, and Windsor Hills | 1939-1949, N.D. |
4 | | 22 micro-cassette tapes of Keane's interviews with: Win Cockey, Greg Dillon, Richard Dunn, Greg Hise, Ed Hogan, Gary Lease, Lightfoot, O'Malley, Lynne Marlow, Morehart, Rawlinson, Joe Schulte, Skinner and Wilkinson | 2000-2001 |
Flat file | 1 | Newspaper clippings re Fritz B. Burns and real estate development in Los Angeles | 1923, 1941, 1943 |
Flat file | 2 | Flyers and brochures advertising various Burns housing developments, including: Palisades Del Rey, Riverside Ranchos, Altadena Terrace, Poppyfields in Altadena, Edison Square, Highway Highlands, Hollywoodland, Del Rey Hills, Hastings Ranch and Windsor Hills | 1939-1949, N.D. |
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