Otis Chandler and the family was the subject of the documentary “Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times” premiered on PBS on Monday. The story is awe inspiring at the least, as a little desert town is metamorphosed into a one of the busiest metropolitan city of the world.
The story of the Chandler family and The Times newspaper has its beginning as Harrison Gray Otis came in 1880 to acquire then bankrupt Los Angeles Times and his son-in-law, Harry Chandler, following suit. The story spans four generations of the family and one century in chronology. As the Chandler family members put on a persona of serving the nation they pursued and were driven by their own individual agendas. General Otis used to say “Everything I touch needs to support that vision and damn the consequences.” He used his newspaper to influence the public and spread the impending danger of severe famine. The result was the building of biggest man made marvels – An aqueduct to bring water from Owens valley. The water changed the fate of the desert. Chandlers knowing the areas which would benefit from the aqueduct bought the desert land there and made huge profits in real estate, actually becoming the Americas wealthiest family. Otis’ view to change the fate of Los Angeles could only have become a reality if more and more people would have found it attractive to live there. Otis wanted a harbor in the city; again Los Angeles Times came to his rescue. He influenced the decision to have port in the area. Now the port is one of the busiest in the world.
The dynasty’s reign on L.A. Times ended with the removal of Otis Chandler – General’s great grandson as the head of the board of governors of L.A Times in 1985. The family eventually sold all the stakes to a company which itself is now in bankruptcy proceedings.
Otis Chandler
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