Griffith Jenkins Griffith (January 4, 1850 – July 6, 1919) was a Welsh-born American
industrialist
A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...
and
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
. After amassing a significant fortune from a
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
syndicate in the 1880s, Griffith donated to the
City of Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
which became
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the Ameri ...
, and he bequeathed the money to build the park's
Greek Theatre
Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...
and
Griffith Observatory
Griffith Observatory is an observatory in Los Angeles, California on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin including Downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, ...
. Griffith's legacy was marred by his notorious shooting of his wife in 1903, a crime for which he served a year and nine months in prison.
Life
Career and philanthropy
Griffith J. Griffith was born in
Bettws,
Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
shire,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, on January 4, 1850.
He immigrated to the United States in 1865, settling in
Ashland, Pennsylvania
Ashland is a borough in Schuylkill County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, northwest of Pottsville. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. A small part of the borough also lies in Columbia County, although all of the population resided in ...
. In 1873, he moved to San Francisco, California, and became manager of the Herald Publishing Company. In 1887, he married
Mary Agnes Christina Mesmer (1864–1948), a daughter of early Los Angeles settler and businessman
Louis Mesmer
The Mesmer family of California was a wealthy family of early Los Angeles settlers who contributed to the development of the city between the rancho era and the explosive growth of the post-WWII era.
Louis Mesmer
Louis Aloise Moessmer Mesmer ...
.
In 1878, G. J. Griffith became mining correspondent for the ''Alta California'', a San Francisco newspaper. As a reporter, he gained extensive knowledge of the mining industry on the Pacific Coast and in Nevada, which led to his employment by various mining syndicates. As a mining expert, Griffith acquired a fortune.
In 1882, Griffith moved to Los Angeles and purchased approximately of the
Rancho Los Feliz
Rancho Los Feliz was a Spanish land concession in present-day Los Angeles County, California given in 1795 by Spanish Governor Pedro Fages to José Vicente Feliz. The land of the grant includes Los Feliz and Griffith Park, and was bounded on ...
Mexican land grant. On December 16, 1896, Griffith and his wife Christina presented of the Rancho Los Feliz to the city of Los Angeles for use as a public park. Griffith called it "a Christmas present." After accepting the donation, the city passed an ordinance to name the property Griffith Park, in honor of the donor.
"It must be made a place of rest and relaxation for the masses, a resort for the rank and file, for the plain people," Griffith told the Los Angeles City Council when he donated the land. "I consider it my obligation to make Los Angeles a happy, cleaner, and finer city. I wish to pay my debt of duty in this way to the community in which I have prospered."
Griffith later donated another along the
Los Angeles River
, name_etymology =
, image = File:Los Angeles River from Fletcher Drive Bridge 2019.jpg
, image_caption = L.A. River from Fletcher Drive Bridge
, image_size = 300
, map = LARmap.jpg
, map_size ...
.
Crime
![Griffith J](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Griffith_J._Griffith_San_Quentin_State_Prison_01.jpg)
While vacationing in
Santa Monica
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
on September 3, 1903, Griffith shot his wife Tina Mesmer Griffith in the presidential suite of the
Arcadia Hotel
The Hotel Arcadia was a hotel in Santa Monica, California that stood on the oceanfront between 1886 and 1909. The hotel was located on Ocean Avenue between Railroad and Front (later Pico Boulevard).
Built during what one historian called the Grea ...
, as she knelt on the floor before him. The shot did not kill her, but she was left disfigured and lost her right eye. Griffith was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to commit murder. The prosecution was led by
Henry T. Gage, former
governor of California
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...
. Griffith was defended by attorney
Earl Rogers
Earl Rogers (November 18, 1869 – February 22, 1922) was an American trial lawyer and professor, who later became the inspiration for Perry Mason.
Life
Earl Rogers was born in Perry, New York on November 18, 1869, the son of Methodist ministe ...
, whose cross-examination of the veiled Mrs. Griffith revealed that her husband—generally thought to be a
teetotaler
Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or i ...
—was in fact a secret
drunk
Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...
who was subject to
paranoid
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...
delusions. Griffith was convicted of a lesser charge, assault with a deadly weapon. The judge sentenced him to two years in
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison (SQ) is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County.
Opened in July 1852, San Quentin is the ...
, and an $5,000 fine,
[California State Archives via
Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Prison and Correctional Records, 1851-1950
Original data: Department of Corrections. San Quentin State Prison Records, 1850–1950. ID #R135] instructing that he be given "medical aid for his condition of alcoholic insanity". He served time from April 5, 1905 to December 6, 1906.
On November 4, 1904, while he was in jail, Mrs. Griffith was granted a divorce on the grounds of cruelty, and she was awarded custody of their 16-year-old son Vandell. The court also stated that G. J. Griffith would pay for his son's education at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
. The decree was made in the record time of four and a half minutes.
Later life
G. J. Griffith was released from prison December 3, 1906, after serving nearly two years. His conduct at the penitentiary was called exemplary. Griffith returned to Los Angeles and began lecturing on prison reform.
In December 1912, Griffith offered a second "Christmas present" to Los Angeles, in the form of a Greek Theater and a Hall of Science to be built at his expense in Griffith Park. The offer was accepted by the City Council, but members of the Park Commission objected and instituted a court action to block the donation. Griffith left the offer in his will. He died of liver disease on July 6, 1919. The bulk of his $1.5 million estate was bequeathed to the city for the building of the
Greek Theater
Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...
(1929) and
Griffith Observatory
Griffith Observatory is an observatory in Los Angeles, California on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin including Downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, ...
(1935).
["Death Claims G. J. Griffith," '']Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', July 7, 1919; "City Gains by Griffith Will," ''Los Angeles Times'', July 12, 1919 He is interred at the
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...
in Los Angeles in the north end of Section 7, a.k.a. "The Griffith Lawn".
[Russell, Ron (July 3, 1988). Splendor Fades at Final Resting Place of Famous, Almost Famous. '']Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' While standing at the side of his obelisk and looking north, one can see the Griffith Observatory.
Griffith used the title of Colonel, but official records of military service which support this rank have not been found. Evidence suggests the only military title he ever held was Major of rifle practice with the
California National Guard
The California National Guard is part of the National Guard of the United States, a dual federal-state military reserve force. The CA National Guard has three components: the CA Army National Guard, CA Air National Guard, and CA State Guard. ...
.
[Gurstelle, William (2006). ''Adventures from the Technology Underground.'' Clarkson Potter ][Bell, Alison (June 12, 2011)]
Colonel Griffith J. Griffith one of L.A.'s more colorful figures.
''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
''
References
External links
BBC biography(City of Los Angeles)
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', September 7, 1903
*
— Kielbasa, John R., ''Historic Adobes of Los Angeles County''. Pittsburg: Dorrance Publishing Co.,
Grace, Roger M., ''Metropolitan News-Enterprise'' (Los Angeles), July 10, 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffith, Griffith J.
Griffith, Griffith J.
Businesspeople from Los Angeles
19th-century American businesspeople
Philanthropists from California
1850 births
1919 deaths
American prisoners and detainees
Criminals from Los Angeles
Prisoners and detainees of California
Welsh emigrants to the United States
People from Bridgend
History of Los Angeles
People from Ashland, Pennsylvania
Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
19th-century American philanthropists
American people convicted of assault
People using the U.S. civilian title colonel
San Quentin State Prison inmates