Alfred Mann dies at age 90 - Pioneer in biotechnology and a major philanthropist

The Los Angeles entrepreneur and philanthropist died in Las Vegas, where he had spent the last several years of his life.

He graduated from high school at 16, served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He moved to So. Cal and earned two physics degrees from UCLA.

Many of the companies he started began in the San Fernando Valley.

Over 70 years, Mann founded 17 companies in fields ranging from defense to medical devices to pharmaceuticals. He sold many of those companies over the years, amassing a fortune that topped $2 billion in 2007.

In 2001, he sold his Northridge pump maker, MiniMed, to medical device giant Medtronic for $3.3 billion. He netted nearly $900 million on the sale.

In 1998, he donated $100-million to USC to create the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering.

To read an article on Alfred Mann from the Los Angeles Times, please click HERE.

EXPLORING THE AMAZING SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

More and more, residents of the San Fernando Valley and our visitors are regularly exploring our amazing communities. By visiting our Museum headquarters in Northridge, participating in our many art experiences, taking our historic Van Nuys or North Hollywood Walking Tours, folks are making our Valley heritage their own.

Pictured above are participants in the Historic Van Nuys Walking Tour, Sunday, February 21 - 2016.
Bill Carpenter, in his iconic western hat, leads The Museum's North Hollywood and Van Nuys tours.

Check out Brenda Gazzar's article in the Daily News on February 22nd, HERE.

CALL FOR ARTISTS - Women Theme - Due March 1

CALL FOR ARTISTS

"WOMEN" THEME

Submit Photos By Tuesday, March 1, 2016

The Museum of the San Fernando is seeking artwork to include in a temporary 2-week exhibition dedicated to women. Artwork that speaks to the soul of women, history of women empowerment, women struggles, motherhood or is homage to a special woman will be considered for the show. Not limited to female artists. 

Space is limited and only 10 artists will be selected to display. Preference will be given to San Fernando Valley artists. No entrance or submission fee. All artwork can be sold at The Museum with the understanding that 25% of proceeds will be donated back to The Museum. 

Exhibition will run from March 5–19, 2016. Opening reception will be Saturday, March 5, 2016 from 6–8pm. Patron’s Choice Award will be given at reception. 

To be considered please email the following items to info@themuseumsfv.org by Tuesday, March 1 at 6pm:
1. Artist bio and contact information
​2. One paragraph description for each submission (limited to 3 submissions per artist). Tell us how the artwork fits the women theme.
​3. Photos/jpegs of each submission with title, price and medium description

Selected artists will be notified by email. Artist will be asked to sign a liability waiver and will be responsible for the delivery of the artwork. The Museum of the San Fernando Valley is located at 18860 Nordhoff St., Suite 204, Northridge, CA 91324.
​
Questions? Please email info@themuseumsfv.org or call (818) 347-9665.

www.themuseumsfv.org

Celebrate the 105th anniversary of Van Nuys on 2/21/16

Join us as we celebrate the 105th Anniversary of Van Nuys by taking a historic walking tour!





The development entity known as The Syndicate began the process in 1910, but William Paul Whitsett saw it through to the end. Originally a barley field, Van Nuys became a prosperous center of City Government, agriculture and industry. 

Come explore what remains to be appreciated: original 1911 buildings hidden beneath modern facades, first churches, a civic center with many special revelations, one of the main hubs of social and official activity, the Women's Club building, Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monuments #201, #202, and #911, and National Register of Historic Places Monument #2509. 

Learn about the origin of the Daily News and the company which was a nationwide maker of silent movie theatre organs. Who were Hobart Johnstone Whitley, Wayne E. Bechtelheimer and Whitley Van Nuys Huffaker? Relive "Wednesday Nights on Van Nuys Boulevard." We will have historic photographs and stories to share as we wander this surprisingly historic San Fernando Valley treasure.

RSVP: 1-818-347-9665 or email at events@TheMuseumSFV.org

Cost: $10 per person.
Attendees can pay in advance on Eventbrite: http://vannuystour2016.eventbrite.com/

Parking: Street and metered parking in area

Tour Repeats Monthly on the 3rd Sunday

Sunday, February 21 2016 (2:00 PM to 4:30 PM)

Sunday, April 17 2016 (2:00 PM to 4:30 PM)

Sunday, June 19 2016 (2:00 PM to 4:30 PM)

Sunday, August 21 2016 (2:00 PM to 4:30 PM)

Sunday, October 16 2016 (2:00 PM to 4:30 PM)

For more information visit: http://www.themuseumsfv.org/events/tours

45 years ago - 1971 Sylmar earthquake... Did you experience it?

How destructive was this quake on February 9, 1971? 

Did you experience this earthquake? If so, send us a comment on what you remember, what you saw, how you felt about it all.

It was reported that 64 people died, 2,500 injured and approximately $550 million in damage, per Daily News.

                                                       Source of this photo: Daily News

Here is a report from the Los Angeles Herald and the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Archive:

• Emergency crews evacuated an 80-square-mile area in the vicinity of Van Norman Dam, Mission Hills, which has a crack down its center and is leaking water.
• The area evacuated extends west of Balboa Boulevard, right on Van Nuys Boulevard, south to Ventura Boulevard and north to the Golden State Freeway.
• The quake was the worst in the Southland since the Long Beach disaster of 1933.
• Olvera Street, a picturesque tourist attraction adjacent to the Plaza in the heart of old Los Angeles, is a shambles of collapsed stalls and strewn merchandise.
• The quake was so intense it briefly knocked out some voice communications at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, according to a spokesman.
• The agency said that it lost telephone contact with the Long Beach control tower.
• Buildings swayed and cracked from Los Angeles west to Santa Monica, northeast to Hollywood and Burbank, then throughout the San Fernando valley and the Saugus-Newhall area.
• Windows shattered.  Highways cracked and buckled.
• Merchandise in stores and household objects on tables and shelves tumbled to floors.  Power and phone service was knocked out throughout a wide area.
• Power transformers popped like firecrackers and high voltage lines snapped.
• Three churches were severely damaged in Pasadena, one of them almost collapsing onto the street.
• The Presbyterian Church at Madison Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, the Holliston Avenue Methodist Church at Holliston and Colorado, and the Calvary Baptist Church at Marion Avenue and Colorado were damaged.
• The Baptist Church was reported leaning over onto Colorado.
• The ornament atop Pasadena City Hall's dome was twisted at a 90-degree angle by the whip action of the quake.
• All residents in the northern end of the San Fernando Valley were ordered by the City Health Department to boil drinking water as the area's chlorination plant was seriously damaged by the shock waves.

--- --- ---
Governor Reagan Declares State of Emergency

SACRAMENTO  (AP)--Gov. Ronald Reagan declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County today because of the earthquake that struck Southern California.

The Republican governor said he would ask President Nixon to take similar action at the federal level.

"I have assured Los Angeles County officials that the state of California will provide whatever assistance and resources may be needed to deal with the effects of the quake."  Reagan said.

Reagan was briefed on the earthquake situation by his Office of Emergency Services this morning and then said the state would make available whatever aid local authorities needed in dealing with the problem.

There were no immediate plans for the governor to visit Los Angeles, which is his home.  But his press office said those plans would depend on further reports from the scene later in the day.

Reagan was scheduled to hold a regular news conference in the Capitol later in the day.

The State Department of Mental Hygiene already had cleared sections of Camarillo State Hospital to take in patients from a damaged hospital in the earthquake area.

Let's have some fun today!

The Museum is happy to be supporting [RE]visit [RE]seda Blvd in Northridge. 

Come out and have some fun! 

I <3 [RE]seda Blvd

Saturday, February 6, 2016

2:00pm - 5:00pm

Reseda Blvd @ Rayen

Poetry Slam

Live Music

Art

Free Samples & Demos from local businesses 

Giveaways 

Food Trucks & more! 

For more information visit https://resedablvd.wordpress.com/

resedablvd.greatstreets@gmail.com

(818) 882-1212

With Gratitude....

The Museum would like to thank the following donors and new members 
for their support in December 2015! 

Barry and Barbara Bierman

Anne and William Bowman

Linda Dawson

Jerry Fecht

Steve Ford

Gary Fredburg

Wendy Furth

James Gerrity

Chika Krouse

Larry Kushner 

Igor Olenicoff

Marsha Miller

Beverly and Mel Mitchell

Janice Morrison
Ellen Rundle

Mike Stevens

Ladonna and Joseph Van Wolf