Los Angeles
County
Biographies
PHILIP
E. MANN
Mr.
Philip E. Mann, who has made his home in southern California for the last 43
years, has made a great success of his business, Mann’s Furniture Company in
South San Gabriel. Born in Chicago,
young Philip and his parents, Hyman and Ida (Kaplan) Mann moved to Los Angeles
in 1918, when he was 7 years old.
Although Mr. Hyman Mann owned a barber shop in the heart of Los Angeles,
his son Philip had other interests.
After taking an extension course at the University of Southern
California in Los Angeles, and technical training courses in radio and
television as well as electronics, he acquired practical experience in
furniture, appliance and music stores.
When he had accumulated enough knowledge of the trade, he ventured into
opening his own furniture business. In
his own modern, large store, located at 8018 East Garvey Avenue in South San
Gabriel, he specializes in Early American and Modern furniture, and has a
complete home furnishing service. He is
also an authorized dealer in Thomas Organs.
Mr.
Philip E. Mann was born on January 5, 1911, in Chicago, and in 1918 came to
California, where he received his education.
He attended First Street School, graduated from Hollenbeck Junior High
School in 1925 and from Roosevelt High School in 1929. Continuing his education, he took an
extension course at the University of California at Los Angeles in electronics
and physics. He was one of a group of
students, who in the class of Dr. Morindini, a
Professor of Electronics at the California Institute of Technology, built the
first television set with a one inch tube.
This was in 1930. Mr. Mann also
took courses at the Radio and Television Institute.
In
1931 he worked for the Southern California Music Company sales and service
department. He was manager of the
appliance department of the Ontario Furniture Company in Ontario, California,
from 1934 to 1936, and then took a job with the Globe Department Store in Los
Angeles in the radio and appliance department.
In
1939 he was ready to open his own furniture store on Garvey Avenue in El
Monte. In 1942 he went into defense
work, and worked at Redfield in San Gabriel and later at Vultee
Aircraft in Burbank on highly secret and specialized work in the electronics
field. During World War II, Mr. Mann was
also active in civil defense as captain of the State Highway Patrol Reserve
with a territory from New Avenue in El Monte.
He was in charge of many men.
In
1945 Mr. Mann re-opened his store at 8009 Garvey Avenue. It soon became too small, and Mr. Mann moved
the store to large, modern quarters at 8018 East Garvey Avenue in South San
Gabriel.
Mr.
Mann married Meriam Rosen on October 23, 1938, in the
home of her parents in Los Angeles. Mrs.
Mann is very active with the Opti-Mrs. in South San Gabriel. They have two children. Michael Ronald Mann, 18
years old, attends Los Angeles State College.
Barbara Jean Mann is 13 years old and goes to McKinley School in San
Gabriel.
Mr. Mann was charter president of
the South San Gabriel Optimist Club, when, at the end of the first year in
1955, the Club had the distinction of being chosen Honor Club by Optimist
International. He was instrumental in
starting the Junior Optimists and the Ladies Auxiliary, the Opti-Mrs. of South
San Gabriel, also the East Whittier Club.
He is past president of the South
San Gabriel Chamber of Commerce, and was chairman when South San Gabriel
Exhibit received First Prize at the Los Angeles County Fair at Pomona in 1957. In 1959 he was captain of the Heart Fund
Drive in South San Gabriel.
Mr. Philip E. Mann was chosen to
have the title and distinction of Honorary Mayor of South San Gabriel for 1961
bestowed upon him.
Mr. Mann enjoys fishing, especially
deep sea fishing, and finds enjoyment and inspiration in playing the organ.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Historical Volume & Reference Works Including Alhambra, Monterey Park,
Rosemead, San Gabriel & Temple City, by Robert P. Studer,
Pages 606-608, Historical Publ., Los Angeles, California. 1962.
© 2013 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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BIOGRAPHIES