Los Angeles County
Biographies
MARION
PISHON WAITE
WAITE, MARION PISHON, Oil Operator, Electrical Engineer, Los Angeles, California, was born at Riverside, California, February 17, 1876, the son of Lyman Cobb Waite and Lillian M. (Sugart) Waite. He married Anna Margaret Olmsted Chapman at Riverside, California, April 4, 1901. There are two children, Eric Lyman and Margaret Anna Waite. Mr. Waite was the second white child born at Riverside, and his father and mother were the first white couple married there.
Mr. Waite attended the Riverside grammar schools, and later graduated from the Riverside High School.
When his primary education was complete he was sent to Throop Polytechnic Institute at Pasadena, and later to Leland Stanford Junior University at Palo Alto. He graduated with the class of 1900, carrying away two degrees, those of Bachelor of Arts and of Electrical Engineer.
He went to work for the Edison Electric Company as soon as he left college. He was in the power house for eight months, doing general work, and was next transferred to the Los Angeles power house. He had a chance to use some of his technical knowledge there, and was advanced to a good post in the office.
His ability by this time was becoming recognized and he was offered a position in the motive power department of the Los Angeles Railway. Later he accepted the position of consulting and construction engineer for the Western Electric Works. He had not been long in his new position before the proprietor of the concern died and Mr. Waite was given the chance of buying the business and did so.
He operated the Western Electric Company for two years successfully and then sold out.
He had meanwhile gained a wide reputation as electrical engineer, so opened an office as consulting electric engineer, and supervised the installation of many of the electric plants in the cities of California and the West, and in the more important office buildings.
The designing of electrical machinery had always been a favorite occupation, so he branched out in this direction. He not only designed but manufactured, and incorporated the business under the firm name of Waite, Bailie & Company. The name of the firm was later changed to Bailie, Brandt & Company, when, after four years of thriving business, he sold out.
The fortunes that were being created by oil in Southern California attracted him, and he embarked with all his capital and energy into oil lands, leases and development.
He operated alone until 1909, increasing his operations constantly, when, with his associates, he helped organize the “Four Investment Company.”
He is treasurer of this company, which is one of the heavily rated oil concerns of California.
Mr. Waite has managed to become interested in other affairs. Land especially has looked to him a good form of investment.
He belongs to the professional societies that are in line with his trade, the Architects and Engineers’ Association, the Electrical Engineers’ Society and the College Men’s Association.
While Mr. Waite was in college he was a fraternity man and became a member of the Phi Delta Theta, the Gamma Etta (sic) Kappa and the Gamma Kappa. He is still interested in the social affairs of these fraternities.
He has joined the Union League Club of San Francisco, the Athletic Club of Los Angeles, the Sierra Madre Club, the University Club and the Gamut Club.
Mr. Waite is also a member of the Stanford Club of Southern California.
Transcribed
12-8-11 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 881, International
News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2011 Marilyn R. Pankey.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES
BIOGRAPIES