Los
Angeles County
Biographies
LYNDEN ELLSWORTH BEHYMER
“No history of Los Angeles,” said a
contemporary writer “would be complete without specific reference to the life
and labors of Lynden Ellsworth Behymer, whose influence on the aesthetic life
of the community, over a long period of years, has been immeasurable.” Through his initiative efforts, his
persistence often in the face of almost insurmountable obstacles, and his
determination to provide for the people the very highest type of literary,
historical, dramatic and musical entertainment, he has richly merited the
gratitude of the thousands who have thus been afforded the opportunity to hear
the world’s greatest historians, travelers, artists and musical and dramatic
organizations, while in the organizing and perpetuating of local associations
he has more than any other one person made Los Angeles one of the musical and
dramatic centers of America. He has
honored this city by his career, and the city honors him for his extraordinary
and unselfish efforts in its behalf.
Mr. Behymer was born in New
Palestine, Clermont County, Ohio, November 5, 1862, the son of Aaron S. and
Charlotte (Leach) Behymer. In the
paternal line he is of Holland descent, his Lutheran ancestors having gone from
that country to England, whence the American progenitors came to this country
in 1650, settling in Virginia. One
member of the family, Jonathan Behymer, was a soldier under Washington at
Valley Forge. His father, Aaron S.
Behymer, was a soldier in the Civil War and survived the Battle of Gettysburg
after being wounded nine times. Mr. Behymer’s mother was a daughter of Philip and Matilda
(Moyer) Leach and of the same lineage as Dr. Edgar Leach, noted surgeon and
scientist of Edinburgh, Scotland, and author of many medical works.
Lynden E. Behymer received a public
school education, graduating from high school at Shelbyville, Illinois, in May,
1881. Soon after he went to Dakota
Territory and embarked in business, establishing a general store at Highmore,
Hyde County. At Highmore on January 3,
1886 he married Miss Menettie Sparks, daughter of
Harvey Harrison and Julie (Dunbar) Sparks.
She was born at Fredonia, Chautauqua County, New York, May 8, 1866. To their
marriage were born: Glenarvon,
a well known Los Angeles attorney and the father of five children: Mary Louise, Barbara Lee, Lynden Ellsworth, Arvon, and Glenarvon, Jr.; Enid
Lynn, wife of Dr. Roy Malcom, of the University of
Southern California, and the mother of three children: Roy Linden, Lauren and Enid Jean; and Elsie
Olive, wife of Captain Egbert Earl Moody, M. D., and the mother of three
children: Lynn, Robert Bee and Sharon.
A cyclone having destroyed all his
possessions in Dakota, Mr. Behymer came to Los Angeles in 1886 and was given
the management of the book department of Stoll & Thayer, book dealers and
stationers. From young manhood he had
maintained a deep interest in literature, music and art and soon after coming
to this city became literary editor of the Los Angeles Herald. He quickly sensed the need of aesthetic
entertainment in the life of the city and at once began to awaken an interest
in literature, the drama and the opera.
He became associated with the early theaters of Los Angeles, gradually
guiding their destinies, and gathered about him many of the substantial youths
of the early period as ushers and helpers.
Some of these are now numbered among the leading business and
professional men of the city. Mr.
Behymer brought to Los Angeles prominent travelers, scientists, historians,
literati, people of the drama, art, music and opera, and his efforts eventually
led to the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra organization. The first symphony orchestra was organized by
Mr. Behymer, who managed it for eighteen years, Harley Hamilton, who directed
it for eighteen years, and Joseph Dupuy, a teacher of
voice and choruses. It was known as the
Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra and was made up of musicians from all walks of
life in the city to augment the orchestras of the opera companies that were
booked for Los Angeles and at the same time to educate the members to play
operatic and symphonic music. From this
aggregation came the Gamut Club of Musicians.
Mr. Behymer was instrumental in
organizing what is now the San Bernardino International Orange Show, which had
been the outgrowth of a series of street fairs given by him to exploit the
general productivity of San Bernardino and other southern California
counties. The Hollywood Bowl idea was
formulated in his home. With the backing
of W. A. Clark, Jr., Mr. Behymer was requested to organize the present
Philharmonic Orchestra and was its manager during the first three years. The Pilgrimage play originated in the home of
Mr. Behymer, who had translations in three languages and also pictures of the
participants, in the Passion Plays given at Erl in
Austria, Freiberg in Bavaria and Oberammergau.
The first of the Easter services at
Mount Rubidoux came about through a fiesta given by Mr. Behymer that was
attended by Theodore Roosevelt, who was much impressed with the Americanization
idea and suggested that the philanthropist, Jacob Riis, be invited to speak,
the latter being considered by Mr. Roosevelt as an outstanding American by
adoption. Mr. Riis came on Washington’s
Birthday to Riverside and delivered an inspiring talk with appropriate music,
etc. Some discussion arose among the
foreign element as to why such an entertainment was given at that particular
time. Two years later Jacob Riis again
visited Los Angeles and Riverside and suggested Easter morning services because
“everybody worships a God of some kind.”
The annual pilgrimage to Mount Rubidoux at daybreak has been the result.
In the fall of 1886 Mr. Behymer was
largely instrumental in bringing to Los Angeles its first important operatic
production, by the National Grand Opera Company, with Theodore Thomas as
conductor. Mr. Behymer’s
tremendous enthusiasm and enterprise in succeeding years brought many great
artists and distinguished figures to the city.
He has managed all the leading theaters and auditoriums established and
maintained at different times in Los Angeles and identified with the outside
circuits throughout Southern California and Arizona. He formed the well known Philharmonic courses
in the larger cities of the southwest in connection with the local music clubs,
and gradually built up centers of music rivaling those of the older musical and
dramatic circles of the east, founding a cultural heritage unequalled for the
coming generations. During the past
forty years nearly all the most famous individual artists in the musical,
dramatic, scientific, historical and literary world have appeared in Los
Angeles under Mr. Behymer’s management. He also provided the necessary financial
guarantees for the appearance here of many celebrated musical organizations,
including the great American and foreign orchestras, opera companies and
dramatic organizations. But few people
achieve in a lifetime the opportunity of presenting to the intelligentsia of
their section of the world those whose name stand for the highest type of
endeavor in their chosen arts. Mr.
Behymer has given generously of his time to the promotion of local civic
affairs, such as fiestas, pageants, entertainments by fraternal and benevolent
organizations. A man of high ideals in
drama and music, he has consistently and earnestly striven to educate the
public taste for the best things and has had the pleasure of realizing to a
large measure the fulfillment of his hopes and desires in that direction.
Among some of the well-known
personalities presented under Mr. Behymer’s direction
in the West have been: Sarah Bernhardt, Eleanora Duse, Tommaso Salvini, Edwin Booth, Sir Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, Joe
Jefferson, Mrs. John Drew, Frederick Warde, E. H.
Sothern, Nellie Melba, Emma Calve, Lillian Nordica, John McCormick, Adelina
Patti, Marion Crawford, Hamlin Garland, Irvin Cobb, Lieutenant Commander Perry,
Roald Amundsen, Henry M. Stanley, Amelita
Galli Curci, Enrico Caruso, Ignace Jan
Paderewski, Edouard DeReszke,
Mei-Lan-Fan, Chinese actor, Lily Pons, Emma Nevada,
John Phillip Sousa, Sir Harry Lauder, Mascagni Leon Carvallo,
Anna Pavlowa, Isadora Duncan, Maud Allan, Mary
Garden, Richard Mansfield and a thousand others.
Mr. Behymer is one of the most
widely traveled residents of Los Angeles.
Traveling has been his recreation, though primarily performed in the
line of duty. None of the artistic
centers of Europe are strange to him.
His favorite organization in Los Angeles is the Gamut Club of which he
was president for fourteen years. He is
a member of the Los Angeles Athletic Club and of the Uplifters,
is an officer of the Los Angeles section of the Drama League of America, the
Hollywood Bowl Association, the City Club, the Edgewater Beach Club, the Arts Alliance,
a trustee of the University of Southern California, an honorary member of the
Savage Club of London, a member of the Wagner Opera League of Bayreuth,
president of the International Artists Club.
The University of Southern California gave him the honorary degree
“Master of Business Administration,” the first to be bestowed by that
institution of learning. He is the dean
of Los Angeles theatrical and musical managers.
For many years he has been a member of Los Angeles Lodge, No. 99, B. P.
O. Elks, a Knight Templar, Scottish Rite Mason, and a member of Al Malaikah
Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is known
afar wherever the world of music and art exists; a list of his friends would
include all the great names of the musical, dramatic and literary fraternities. Fourteen different European countries have
conferred upon Mr. Behymer their highest decoration for service in the realm of
culture, among them being the Redeemer of Greece, carrying with it Knighthood;
the Crown of Italy, making him a Cavalieri of that
country; he is an officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau; an officer of the
Order of the Palms d’ Academie of France; a Chevalier
of the Order of the Golden Palms of the Crown of Leopold of Belgium; a member
of the Order of St. Vladimir, presented by the order of the late Czar of
Russia; and the Order of Sava of Serbia, and other well known favors of
European rulers and presidents. Mr.
Behymer is known in the southwest as an authoritative speaker on universal
subjects and a sought-after toastmaster and presiding officer of public
assembly, a poet and a writer.
He has not only exemplified in his
makeup the essential qualities of the best citizenship, but has also by his
uniform courtesy, kindliness and generosity won an enduring place in the hearts
of the people among whom he has lived and labored for more than four decades,
and who esteem him for his great ability and sterling worth.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 25-30, Clarke Publ.,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPIES