WHPOA celebrated its 50th Anniversary at its annual meeting in 2008 with a gala two-day event at the W Hotel in Westwood Village.
Our Westwood Hills neighborhood has a rich history. Over the years, many luminaries have called Westwood Hills home. Several families have lived in our neighborhood for more than 50 years, in some cases for as many as four generations.
Well-known architects who lived in Westwood Hills included Paul Williams and Allen Siple. Scientists and businessmen who’ve lived here included Sy Ramo (co-founder of TRW) and Tom Jones. Among musicians there were composer Eric Ziesl, conductor Mehli Mehta (father of conductor Zubin Mehta), and singers Amelita Galli-Curci (the most famous coloratura at the Metropolitan Opera in the 1920’s) and Dorothy Kirsten. Among dancers there were Marge and Gower Champion.
Movie and TV personalities who lived in our neighborhood included Leonard Nimoy, Carroll O’Connor, Robert Sterling, Robert Redford, Michael Warren, John Landis, Michael Bay, David Schwimmer, Martin Landau, David and Jerry Zucker, Dick Van Patten, Bob and Pat Crane, Patty Duke and John Astin, Terry Moore, Rhonda Fleming, Tippi Hedron, Peggy Lee, Rita Hayworth, Claudette Colbert, Eva Gabor and Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe’s first marriage took place in the home of attorney Chester Howells on Bentley Ave. Stage and television actress Jean Bartel, who was Miss America 1943, lived in Westwood Hills for decades.
For more details, take a look at the four-page 50th Anniversary brochure, which also includes a quick decade-by-decade history of our association and its work.
Our 50th Anniversary celebration kicked off with W Hotel’s invitation to a “Family Fun Day” pool party and movie on Sunday, September 14. On Monday, September 15, we were back at the W Hotel for our Annual Meeting, which featured a presentation about our community by the authors of a highly acclaimed history of Wilshire Blvd. and an exhibit of early photographs of Westwood. Over a period of several months, neighbor Bill Gubin on Glenroy had documented Westwood Hills homes designed by prominent architects of the 1930’s and 1940’s, and together with Carole Magnuson created a video featuring these architectural gems which ran continuously throughout the evening. Our generous sponsors for the 50th Anniversary event were the W Hotel Westwood, Whole Foods Market, and Larry Young, Prudential California Realty.