Henry William O'Melveny collection, 1885-1940

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Summary

Creators:
O'Melveny, H. W. (Henry William), 1859-1941
Abstract:
Papers belonging to Henry William O'Melveny, founder of the Los Angeles law firm that would become O'Melveny and Myers.
Extent:
58 Linear Feet (53 boxes, 52 volumes, 4 rolls, 2 objects)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Henry William O'Melveny collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of material related to Henry William O'Melveny and his various law firms. The collection includes correspondence, business files, financial documents, business volumes and journals. Significant persons and businesses in the collection include, among others: Arcadia Bandini; the Dominguez family; Jackson A. Graves; American National Red Cross; Graves, O'Melveny and Shankland; Miller and Lux; O'Melveny and Myers, and Pacific Light and Power Corporation (Los Angeles, Calif.).

Biographical / historical:

Henry William O'Melveny (1859-1941) was born in Illinois; when he was 10 years old, his family moved to Los Angeles, California. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1879. For two years he served as Deputy District Attorney and in 1885 he founded the firm Graves and O'Melveny with Jackson A. Graves. The firm would undergo a total of nine name changes, always including the name O'Melveny, before becoming O'Melveny and Myers in 1939. O'Melveny held several civic positions including President of the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission and from 1908 to 1910, and he was also a member of the Los Angeles Public Library Board. He was President of the Dominguez Water Company and Vice-President of the Los Angeles Trust and Savings Bank. O'Melveny married Marie Antoinette Schilling in 1887; they had three children, Stuart, Donald, and John. In 2000, O'Melveny and Myers was the third largest law firm in Los Angeles and are now considered the oldest firm in the city.

Acquisition information:
Gift of John O'Melveny, 1954.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff. In 2020, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series: Correspondence; Business Files; Journals; Miscellaneous.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Henry William O'Melveny collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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