Los Angeles County
Biographies
LINDEN E. BEHYMER
BEHYMER, L. E., Manager of
Musical and Dramatic Celebrities, and of Temple Auditorium, Los Angeles, Cal.,
was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, November 5, 1862, near the homestead
of the poet, Miss Phoebe Cary. His father was Aaron Behymer,
his mother having been Miss Charlotte Leach. One paternal ancestor
was Jonathan Behymer, first ferryman at Harper’s
Ferry, an early settler of Claremont County, Ohio, and a companion of Daniel
Boone; on the maternal side Dr. Edwin Leach, the celebrated physician
and scientist of Edinburgh, Scotland, is chronicled. Mr. Behymer married Miss Menette Sparks,
niece of Jared Sparks, the historian, at Highmore, Dakota Territory, January, 1886. The issue of the marriage
are, Glenarvon, Enid and Elsie Behymer.
Mr. Behymer was educated in the
public schools, graduating at Shelbyville high school in Ill.,
May 30, 1881. He then attended the Northwest Normal School,
Stanberry, Mo., 1881-1882.
While a resident of Dakota, he was made territorial
commissioner from Hyde County, serving 1884-85 and part of 1886.
Mr. Behymer went to Los
Angeles, June 9, 1886, and entered the employ of Stoll and Thayer, assuming
charge of the book shelves. He also did literary reviewing for the Herald. He
became connected in business ways with Manager H. C. Wyatt, then of
the Grand Opera House, and with McClain and Lehman, managers, Hazard’s
Pavilion; since that time he has been identified with all dramatic, musical and
literary movements of the city. There has never been a fiesta, a Shrine
minstrel or a charity circus performance where Mr. Behymer
has not assisted; his effective work during the late Aviation Meet showed the
managerial ability, which secured for him in earlier years the management of
the western tours of such organizations as the Metropolitan Opera Company; the
Maurice Grau Opera Company; Madame Sarah Bernhardt,
the San Carlos Opera Company; Madames Nordica,
Schumann-Heink and Gadski; Ben Greet; the Damrosch
Orchestra and the Russian Symphony Orchestra.
It was through his influence that Madame Adelina Patti was heard in Los Angeles, that La Boheme received its first performance there; that Madame
Melba sang for the first time there, her role of Mimi; that Fritzi
Scheff made her first bow there in this country, and
that Madame Modjeska entrusted to his care a large portion of her affairs.
He is the manager of the Auditorium Theater, representing
the Sam S. and Lee Shubert interests in Los Angeles.
He is also manager of Simpson Auditorium, representative
of the leading vocalists and instrumentalists of the world during their western
tours; he also manages the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, and the Woman’s
Symphony Orchestra, and has done so ever since the formation of these
organizations.
Mr. Behymer has been elected
officer of the French Academy by the Minister of Public Instruction and the
Chief of the Cabinet of Beaux-Arts, this occurring on March 1, 1908,
and six months later he received the Decoration of The Palms at the same hands.
As one of the first members of Lodge No. 99,
B. P. O. E., Mr. Behymer has
participated in all of the work of that Order for the past eighteen years.
He is an active member of Temple
A. A. O. N. M. S. Al Malaikah;
a 32d degree member of the L. A. Consistory No. 3, Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite of Free-Masonry; a member of King Solomon Lodge of Perfection
No. 3; the Robert Bruce Chapter, Rose Croix No. 3 of Los Angeles;
Hollenbeck Lodge No. 319, F. and A. M., and East Gate
Lodge, No. 103, R. A. M. He is vice president of the Gamut Club
and president of the Progress Club.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
03 August 2011.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 737,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2011 Marie Hassard.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPIES