FRED KAVLI PASSES - SFV PHYSICIST & BUSINESSMAN AT AGE 86

Fred Kavli, San Fernando Valley physicist and businessman who owned Kavlico Corp. in Van Nuys, passed away at age 86.

The company developed  sensors for the automotive and aerospace fields and was very successful.

He was a philanthropist and supported youth groups and neglected children locally. Kavli also established a foundation and gave away $200 million while setting up 15 institutions worldwide. 

The Kavli Foundation is dedicated to advancing science for the benefit of humanity, promoting public understanding of scientific research, supporting scientists and their work.

Read more about Fred Kavli in an obituary by clicking HERE:

JERMAINE JACKSON - VALLEY BOY - MEGA STAR

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                 2013

Jermaine Jackson, once the lead singer for the Jackson 5, graduated from Birmingham High School in Lake Balboa. He was, for many years, the lead vocalist with his brother Michael. He attended the Jehovah's Witness facility, in what was once the Valley Music Center, in Woodland Hills and lived at the Jackson family compound in Encino.

Jermaine Jackson - detail from Jackson's Victory Tour souvenir book.

Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2013.

(click on the image to enlarge it.) 

LUMINARIA FESTIVAL DECEMBER 8 - FREE FAMILY EVENT

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY DIVERSE POLITICAL VIEWS

 

In 1964, California still had many "liberal" Republicans, influenced by political leaders such as Earl Warren. The growing influence of Conservative Senator Barry Goldwater and very Liberal New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, San Fernando Valley moderate Republicans worked to draft Governor William Scranton for the presidency. 

 

Four years later "liberal" Democrats in the Valley supported the challenge of Senator Eugene McCarthy to President Lyndon Johnson, as the "peace candidate.

As in other parts of the United States, the San Fernando Valley has long been a place of divergent political opinion. This is exemplified in the political memorabilia donated to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley since our creation in 2005. For example, materials reflecting support for the moderate governor William Scranton of Pennsylvania reveals a desire for a presidential candidate somewhere between conservative Barry Goldwater from Arizona and New York governor Nelson Rockefeller in the 1964 election. 

 

Two years later, Democrats in the Valley were divided between supporting the reelection of President Lydon B. Johnson and the "peace" candidate Eugene McCarthy. In 1976, Democratic Senator John Tunney was defeated for reelection by colorful S.I. Hayakawa. 

 

Help your Museum build our San Fernando Valley Political Archives

Donate tax-deductible videos, photographs, records and other artifacts to your Museum today.

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley

Acquisitions Committee
21031 Ventura Blvd., Suite 419
Woodland Hills, CA 91364-2230

THE MUSEUM’S TELEPHONE
1 (818) 347-9665

THE MUSEUM'S EMAILS
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THE MUSEUM’S WEBSITE

www.TheMuseumSFV.org

CAL AUTOMOTIVE - A NORTH HOLLYWOOD MURDER STORY

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY              2013

Cal Automotive Inc. (vintage postcard - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2013.  (click on image to enlarge it.)

 The following is unedited - as printed:

"8044 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, California 91605 - Phone 767-8025
INTRODUCING   This worlds nost powerful Mustang Mr. Cal Automotive, Driven by TEX COLLINGS the famous Hollywood badman. Powered by the World War II P38 and P51 Mustang - 12 Cylindrs, 1710 Cubic inch, 3500 H.P. Allison, Tex Collins, the only man that ever successfully made a Aircraft engine run in a car. No problem to go 200 MPH in 1/4 mile."

Hey there may be a real story here!

The hot rod shop called Cal Automotive Inc. in North Hollywood was bought out by a Hollywood stunt man named Tex Collins. Several internet accounts have it that Tex died as a result of being shot to death over equipment sold to a Texas client.

According to a posting on the T Busketeers blog:
http://www.tbucketeers.com/threads/what-ever-happened-to-cal-automotive.10725

"Curt Hamilton who founded Cal Automotive has a shop in Van Nuys, California on Stagg Street called Hamilton Automotive Industries. He still has the T-Bucket molds with the improved dash panel and molded one piece pick up bed body. All his bodies were hand lamenated fiberglass., cleaner and stronger than a messy chopper sprayed body. Tex Collins, who purchased Cal Automotive from Curt tried to mass produce T-Bucket bodies by selling franchiases with hastley made molds to "Mom and Pop" operations. One such operation soured and as a result Tex was shot in the back by the son of a law enforcement official and was later aquitted at trial. Tex was a part time Hollwood Western stuntman who had a fiberglass company called Ford Duplicators in North Hollywood when he purchased Cal Automotive."

There’s a little more to the story. The Tudor ended up in the hands of a sometime Hollywood stuntman named Tex Collins, an Allison fanatic who ran one in a Mustang Funny Car, plus the Lytle-built oddity seen here, The Bad Brawma Bull, which used a White 3000 truck cab and modified chassis (check the bolted-together roll bar, as with Big Al IV). Collins, who owned Cal Automotive and was, sadly, shot to death, actually made passes in this thing and got to the far end unharmed. Mike owns the Bull, too. - See more at: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/01/18/rip-jim-lytle-a-power-crazed-genius/#sthash.2YjjHEf1.dpuf

There’s a little more to the story. The Tudor ended up in the hands of a sometime Hollywood stuntman named Tex Collins, an Allison fanatic who ran one in a Mustang Funny Car, plus the Lytle-built oddity seen here, The Bad Brawma Bull, which used a White 3000 truck cab and modified chassis (check the bolted-together roll bar, as with Big Al IV). Collins, who owned Cal Automotive and was, sadly, shot to death, actually made passes in this thing and got to the far end unharmed. Mike owns the Bull, too. - See more at: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/01/18/rip-jim-lytle-a-power-crazed-genius/#sthash.2YjjHEf1.dpuf