Otis Chandler Passed
 

LOS ANGELES - Otis Chandler, who transformed his family's Los Angeles Times from a provincial, conservative paper into a respected national media voice, died Monday. He was 78.

Chandler died at his home in Ojai, said Tom Johnson, who had succeeded Chandler as publisher. He said Chandler had been suffering from a neurological disorder known as Lewy body disease.

Chandler was the scion of a family that wielded financial and political power in the Los Angeles area for decades.

With his blond hair, weightlifter physique and love of surfing, he was a quintessential Californian of his generation. As a publisher, he spent most of his career chafing against what he sensed was an East Coast bias against Los Angeles and fought to elevate the Los Angeles Times.

"No publisher in America improved a paper so quickly on so grand a scale, took a paper that was marginal in qualities and brought it to excellence as Otis Chandler did," wrote David Halberstam in his 1979 book "The Powers that Be."

Chandler continued to cast a large shadow over the Times long after he resigned as the paper's publisher in 1980 after 20 years at the helm.

He left as chairman in 1985 but returned as a newsroom hero in 2000, publicly chiding the paper's management, which he blamed for an embarrassing scandal and severe cost-cutting that damaged its reputation. Soon after, the Chandler Family Trust sold newspaper parent company Times Mirror Co. to the Tribune Co.

"I was building up a hell of a head of steam," he said in an interview in The New York Times in 2000. "The Times is not as dear to me as my own family, but it's close."

Chandler was groomed from an early age to take control of his family's newspaper. He worked as a printer's apprentice, reporter and in the advertising and circulation departments. In 1960, he succeeded his father as publisher at age 33.

The paper was considered parochial and partisan, a mouthpiece for conservative political causes.

Almost immediately, Chandler initiated changes designed to fulfill his goal of making the paper one of the country's best. He moved the paper toward the political center and angered conservative allies - and family members - by publishing a series of stories on the right-wing John Birch Society.

He hired more reporters, raised salaries, opened overseas bureaus and beefed up the paper's coverage of Washington, D.C. His efforts resulted in the Times winning seven Pulitzer prizes during his tenure.

Johnson said Chandler's wife, Bettina, was with him when he died.

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

Sad.. He was probably the first public figure to build a superior collection of Supercars.

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

Opening his collection to the public really brought back the American Musclecar spirit to the Hobby.....

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

That is sad to hear... God speed Otis... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ins/3gears.gifhttps://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/flag.gif

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

When all is said and done, Otis will probably be known as the father figure of the hobby we chase today.

Godspeed, to a great visionary.

Jim

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

The book about his collection is going to be the story book I read to my kids for their bed time story...

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

Otis was without a doubt a real car guy! . Muscle and Antique cars....Bikes too, he certainly knew how to spend his money in the right ways. ~ Pete

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

Damn...I worked for the LA Times for a year or two...and never made the connection that Otis Chandler was THE Otis Chandler with the musclecar collection.... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/rolleyes.gifstupid me!

May he do this in heaven https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/burnout.gif

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

[ QUOTE ]
When all is said and done, Otis will probably be known as the father figure of the hobby we chase today.


[/ QUOTE ]

No doubt. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/worship.gif

May he rest in peace.

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

Was at The RM auction in Scottsdale in 2003 and wittnessed him spending a huge amount for a Brass era car. H e was past the muscle car acquisition phase at that point. Never made it to his museum,but gathering from the photo book,it was quite a collection of muscle in its day. It was great to see someone enjoy the hobby the way he did. I have seen many of his bike at The Peterson.

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

Back in 1989 Otis Chandler bought a new Porsche Speedster from the dealership where I worked as the sales manager. He was friends with the owner, all we talked about were muscle cars and motorcycles. The story that blew my mind was his experience driving Mark Donahue's Ex Race car Porsche 917 K 30 (I believe it was) and how when on the loud pedal he would be spinning the rear tires from corner to corner no matter what speed. I think he said his son, Michael also drove it and lost control at a high rate of speed. Anyway, before I met him I knew of the collection of Cars, Motorcycles and Big Game Hunting up in Oxnard, California and the family business, The Los Angeles Times. He was just a regular car guy that day and that was one of my many great experiences selling Porsches in Southern Calif. Rest in peace. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

He got back into Musclecars again after the brass era.

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

[ QUOTE ]
Damn...I worked for the LA Times for a year or two...and never made the connection that Otis Chandler was THE Otis Chandler with the musclecar collection.... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/rolleyes.gifstupid me!

May he do this in heaven https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/burnout.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't make the connection either, R.I.P. Mr. Chandler

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

He lived a long and fruitful life.....godspeed Otis.

I admired his ability to love of many types of vehicles whether new or old, sports racers, pre war, classic, race, muscle, etc he was into it. Otis owned the first legal 959 Porsche in USA and was not allowed to drive it, even on a private track.

A very cool guy.

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

Now that you mention the 959 he told me all about that too. He was going to take it out to Willow Springs Raceway out in Rosamond, California. He had asked if I wanted to come out and go for a ride.

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

My kind of guy..I would collect the same stuff if I could...

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

Sorry to hear of his passing. Still have to find the book that covers what cars he collected.
God-Speed Mr Chandler,

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

Jeff
There are currently many copies of that particular Book that was written about his collection on Ebay right now with BIN prices... HERE.

Otis Chandler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...andler0001.jpg

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

[ QUOTE ]
Jeff
There are currently many copies of that particular Book that was written about his collection on Ebay right now with BIN prices... HERE.

Otis Chandler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...andler0001.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

There he is next to my old car. He was a straight up guy. A couple years after I sold him that cuda I bought a 69 Hemi Daytona from him. He sent me a nice handwritten letter. He had the strangest handwriting! A lot of people told me to hold on to that letter as he was supposedly not known to write letters.

Re: Otis Chandler Passed
 

[ QUOTE ]
Jeff
There are currently many copies of that particular Book that was written about his collection on Ebay right now with BIN prices... HERE.

Otis Chandler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...andler0001.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

Hold out for the one with the Baldwin Motion Camaro on the cover... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif