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| Arthur Letts, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Name | Arthur Letts, Jr. |
| Birth date | 1894 |
| Birth place | Tucson, Arizona |
| Death date | 1963 |
| Death place | Los Angeles County, California |
| Occupation | Real estate developer, philanthropist |
| Nationality | American |
Arthur Letts, Jr. was an American real estate developer and philanthropist active in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills during the early to mid-20th century. He played a central role in shaping residential neighborhoods such as Holmby Hills and participated in civic organizations tied to UCLA and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum projects. His activities intersected with prominent figures in California development, including members of the Irvine and the Huntington circles.
Letts was born in Tucson into a family connected to frontier commerce and western migration, with kinship ties referenced alongside families such as the Parker and Mormon pioneers. His parents maintained associations with merchants and civic leaders in San Diego and Phoenix, bringing him into contact with networks that included the Santa Fe Railway and Southern Pacific interests. Siblings and extended family intermarried with families involved in Los Angeles Times circles and property interests near Pasadena and Santa Monica.
Letts received formative education in schools influenced by leaders from San Francisco philanthropic circles and preparatory programs linked to institutions like Pomona College and Occidental College. During World War I he served in units connected to the American Expeditionary Forces and trained in camps similar to Camp Funston and Camp Lewis. His military service brought him into contact with contemporaries who later became notable in Caltech and USC alumni networks, and veterans' organizations such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
After military service Letts entered real estate, working alongside developers and financiers from Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and the Brentwood areas. He acquired and subdivided parcels originally associated with the J. C. Drewry and Letts family holdings and collaborated with planners influenced by Olmsted Brothers principles and contemporaries such as Harold Janss and Rancho La Brea investors. Letts participated in the development of Holmby Hills adjacent to Westwood and UCLA, coordinating with landscape architects who had worked on projects tied to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and civic infrastructure connected to Los Angeles County plans. He negotiated with title companies and brokers connected to First National Bank of Los Angeles and legal counsel with ties to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Letts contributed to philanthropic initiatives associated with UCLA, LACMA patron circles, and hospital boards linked to Cedars-Sinai and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. He served on committees that coordinated fundraising with figures from the Caltech donor base and civic campaigns related to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Letts' civic engagement connected him with politicians and civic leaders from City of Los Angeles governance, including interactions with mayoral administrations and county supervisors associated with infrastructure projects like the Pacific Electric expansions and regional planning efforts involving the Southern California Association of Governments antecedents.
In his personal life Letts maintained residences in Mid-Wilshire and estates near Mulholland Drive and entertained contemporaries from the entertainment industry tied to MGM and Paramount Pictures. His legacy is reflected in property records preserved by the Los Angeles Public Library and in neighborhood covenants still visible in Holmby Hills and surrounding districts such as Windsor Square and Hancock Park. Collectors and historians referencing archives at institutions like UCLA Special Collections and the Huntington Library trace lines from his developments to broader patterns involving the Irvine Company and mid-century Los Angeles suburbanization. Letts is remembered among regional developers alongside names such as A.C. Martin, Pauley Petroleum, and members of the Chandler publishing dynasty.
Category:People from Los Angeles County, California Category:American real estate developers