Los Angeles County
Biographies
EDMUND OGDEN SAWYER, JR.
Edmund Ogden Sawyer, Jr., publisher, was born May 5, 1883 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, son of Edmund Ogden and Sarah (Hall) Sawyer, both of whom were physicians. He is a graduate of Long Beach (California) High School, in 1901.
Mr. Sawyer was a newspaper photographer and later writer, to 1909. From 1909 to 1910 he was city editor of the Los Angeles (California) Record; editor of Portland (Oregon) News, 1911 to 1912; assistant editor of Seattle (Washington) Star, 1913 to 1914; president of Post Publishing Company and editor of Seward (Alaska) Gateway-Post in 1917; editor of Fishing Gazette, New York, 1920 to 1921; vice president and general manager of Western Trade Journals, Inc., San Francisco, 1922 to 1933, and publications representative, 1933 to 1937; publisher of Western Motor Transport, Los Angeles, since 1938.
Mr. Sawyer originated the plan for mining Alaska coal lands and building railroads through Government commission; submitted a petition to Congress, signed by forty thousand citizens of Oregon; member of State Executive Committee for Public Lands Convention, Oregon, I 1911; member of Vice Commission in Portland, Oregon, 1911 to 1912. He toured Alaska, writing to interest the Government railroad bill, 1913, and centered his efforts in securing the selection of the Seward-Fairbanks route, 1913-14. Assistant superintendent of Fish Section of Canning Food Board, 1918; and superintendent of Fish Section of Canadian Trade Commission in 1919.
During World War II, Mr. Sawyer served as major with Officers' Reserve Corps, United States Army. He was called to active duty in June of 1941 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel, United States Army, on July 15, 1942. Served as chief of Continuous Security Branch Headquarters, 9th Service Command, Fort Douglas, Utah, 1942-43; retired for statutory age in 1943. Appointed State Facility officer of California War Council in 1943, with rank of lieutenant colonel; promoted to colonel in 1944; retired on completion of work.
He is the author of “Our Sea Saga--The Wood Wind Ships,”1929. Member of Masonic Order, Knight Templar and Shriner.
Mr. Sawyer married Louisa Alice Harvey June 3, 1908; children: Helen Alice, Robert Osborn, and Edmund Ogden II (U.S.M.C.R; died in service in 1945).
Home: 7929 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood 46, California.
Offices: 3-54 West Sixth Street, Los Angeles 5, California.
Transcribed
2-5-15 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Eminent Californians 1953, by Lee E.
Johnson & C. W. Taylor, Pages 565-566.
C. W. Taylor Publ., Palo Alto, California, 1953.
© 2015 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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