Selected Sources

 

Much of this history reflects the collective memory and institutional lore of The Los Angeles Breakfast Club, passed down through generations of members, alongside documented material from the club's archives and outside sources, cited below.

 

Books

 

Alicoate, Jack, ed. The 1930 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures. New York: The Film Daily, 1930.

The Breakfast Club. The Autocrats of The Breakfast Club. Los Angeles: The Breakfast Club, c. 1931.

Campbell, Isabel. "Ham and Eggs: Folklore of the Breakfast Club." In Sidewalks of America, edited by B. A. Botkin, 398–402. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1954.

Caughey, John, and LaRee Caughey. Los Angeles: Biography of a City. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976. 

Forden, Lesley. The Ford Air Tours, 1925–1931. 2nd ed. New Brighton, MN: Aviation Foundation of America, 2003. Originally published 1972. 

Glines, Carroll V. Roscoe Turner: Aviation's Master Showman. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1995.

Harrison, Steven L. Freemasons: Tales from the Craft. United States: Lulu Press, 2014.

Link, Harold B. 50th Anniversary: The Los Angeles Breakfast Club. Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Breakfast Club, 1975.

Link, Harold B. The Los Angeles Breakfast Club: The Shrine of Friendship. Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Breakfast Club, 1953.

McGroarty, John Steven. Los Angeles from the Mountains to the Sea: With Selected Biography of Actors and Witnesses to the Period of Growth and Achievement. Chicago: American Historical Society, 1921.

McWilliams, Carey. Southern California: An Island on the Land. 9th ed. Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith Books, 2009.

Morgan, William. Illustrations of Masonry. United States: Library of Alexandria, 1827.

Perrine, E. P. Doctor, build a better practice. Los Angeles: Redking Schools, 1934.

Porges, Irwin. Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Man Who Created Tarzan. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1976. 

Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.

Starr, Kevin. Golden Dreams: California in an Age of Abundance, 1950–1963. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 

Starr, Kevin. Material Dreams: Southern California through the 1920s. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Veca, Donna. Just Plane Crazy: Biography of Bobbi Trout. Santa Clara, CA: Osborne Publisher, 1987. 

 

Newspapers and Periodicals

 

Newspapers and periodicals cited, with the range of years referenced:

 

Alive! (City Employees Club of Los Angeles), 2005–2006

Cason, Clarence E. "'Horsefeathers': A Synthesis." American Speech 4, no. 2 (December 1928): 98–99.

Architectural Digest, 1931

The Armidale Express [Armidale, Australia], 1935

Aviation Week & Aeronautical Engineering, 1927

The Bakersfield Californian [Bakersfield, CA], 1932

The Birmingham News [Birmingham, AL], 1928

The Boston Globe, 1922

Broadcasting, 1932

Brooklyn Life [Brooklyn, NY], 1915

Buffalo Courier-Express [Buffalo, NY], 1927

Buffalo Evening News [Buffalo, NY], 1926–1936

Buffalo Evening Times [Buffalo, NY], 1926

The Bulletin [Pomona, CA], 1926

The Bulletin [San Francisco, CA], 1927

California Pictorial, 1924

The Capital Times [Madison, WI], 1927

The Cincinnati Post [Cincinnati, OH], 1949

Colton Daily Courier [Colton, CA], 1929

The Covina Argus [Covina, CA], 1927–1932

The Daily Argus-Leader [Sioux Falls, SD], 1926

The Daily Facts [Redlands, CA], 1927–1928

The Daily Gazette [Beaumont, CA], 1939

The Daily National Hotel Reporter, 1927

Daily News [Los Angeles, CA] (formerly Illustrated Daily News), 1925–1951

The Daily Press-Broadcast [Wilmington, CA], 1930

The Daily Republic [Fairfield, CA], 1962

The Downey Patriot [Downey, CA], 2009

Durant Daily News and Bryan County Democrat [Durant, OK], 1930

Eastside Journal [Los Angeles, CA], 1940

Editor & Publisher, 1926

El Paso Herald-Post [El Paso, TX], 1937

Elsinore Leader-Press [Lake Elsinore, CA], 1930

The Evening News [Sydney, NSW, Australia], 1926

Evening Vanguard [Venice, CA], 1943

Exhibitors Herald, 1926

The Fillmore Gazette [Fillmore, CA], 2008

The Film Daily, 1931

The Fresno Bee [Fresno, CA], 1926

The Gazette and Daily [York, PA], 1937

Glendale News-Press [Glendale, CA], 2002

Greeley Daily Tribune [Greeley, CO], 1952

Griffith Park News [Los Angeles, CA], 1936

The Grizzly Bear [Los Angeles, CA], 1932

The Guardian, 2021

Hawaii Tribune-Herald (formerly Hilo Tribune-Herald) [Hilo, HI], 1955

Healdsburg Tribune [Healdsburg, CA], 1927

Highland Park News-Herald & Journal [Los Angeles, CA], 1958

Hollywood Citizen-News (formerly Hollywood Daily Citizen) [Los Angeles, CA], 1925–1968

Hollywood Filmograph, 1932

The Hollywood Reporter, 1931–1932

The Honolulu Advertiser [Honolulu, HI], 1948

Honolulu Star-Bulletin [Honolulu, HI], 1948–1950

Inside Facts of Stage and Screen, 1930

Ryan, Tracii, Kelly A. Allen, DeLeon L. Gray, and Dennis M. McInerney. "How Social Are Social Media? A Review of Online Social Behaviour and Connectedness." Journal of Relationships Research 8 (2017).

Nelson, Chris Ernest. "The Battle for Ham and Eggs." The Journal of San Diego History 38, no. 4 (Fall 1992).

The Kansas City Times [Kansas City, MO], 1927

Kenosha News [Kenosha, WI], 1928

The Klamath News [Klamath Falls, OR], 1931

LIFE, 1943

Lincoln Heights Bulletin-News [Los Angeles, CA], 1932

Long Beach Sun [Long Beach, CA], 1929–1934

Long Beach Press-Telegram [Long Beach, CA], 1932

Los Angeles Business Journal, 2021

Los Angeles Evening Express, 1925–1931

Los Angeles Evening Herald, 1928

Los Angeles Examiner, 1928–1958

Los Angeles Mirror, 1956

Los Angeles Record, 1925–1935

Los Angeles Times, 1919–2025

Metropolitan News-Enterprise [Los Angeles, CA], 2002

Midweek Pictorial, 1927

Modern Screen, 1932

Monrovia News-Post (formerly Monrovia Daily News) [Monrovia, CA], 1927–1932

The Motion Picture Almanac, 1931–1932

Motion Picture Classic, 1928

Motion Picture News, 1926–1929

Movie Mirror, 1934

News-Pilot [San Pedro, CA], 1934–1942

The New York Times, 1929–1967

Oakland Post-Enquirer [Oakland, CA], 1926–1930

Oakland Tribune [Oakland, CA], 1927–1937

Oroville Mercury Register [Oroville, CA], 1934

Pacific Electric Magazine, 1945

Pasadena Independent [Pasadena, CA], 1968

Pasadena Post [Pasadena, CA], 1926–1942

Pasadena Star-News [Pasadena, CA], 1941–1949

Patriot-News [Harrisburg, PA], 1949

The Pensacola Journal [Pensacola, FL], 1928

Perris Progress [Perris, CA], 1930

Picturegoer, 1929–1930

Picture-Play Magazine, 1927–1928

The Pittsburgh Press [Pittsburgh, PA], 1943

Popular Mechanics, 1973

The Progress [Pomona, CA], 1926–1932

Radio Life, 1947

Redondo Daily Breeze [Redondo Beach, CA], 1926

Redwood City Tribune [Redwood City, CA], 1958

The Richmond Palladium and Sun-Telegram [Richmond, IN], 1925–1935

Richmond Times-Dispatch [Richmond, VA], 1949

Riverside Daily Press [Riverside, CA], 1928

The Royal Gazette [Bermuda], 1966
Sacramento Union [Sacramento, CA], 1932

The San Bernardino County Sun [San Bernardino, CA], 1942

San Francisco Call, 1919

San Francisco Examiner, 1931

Santa Ana Register (formerly Santa Ana Daily Register), 1928–1937

Santa Ana Journal [Santa Ana, CA], 1935–1937

Santa Cruz Evening News [Santa Cruz, CA], 1927

Santa Maria Daily Times [Santa Maria, CA], 1926

Santa Monica Daily Press [Santa Monica, CA], 2013

The Saturday Evening Post, 2023

Screenland, 1928–1930

The Seattle Star, 1931

Sierra Madre News [Sierra Madre, CA], 1927–1953

Silver Screen, 1932

South Pasadena Review [South Pasadena, CA], 1976

Southern California Daily Trojan [Los Angeles, CA], 1926–1928

Southwest American [Fort Smith, AR], 1927

The Southwest Wave [Los Angeles, CA], 1930–1948

The Spokesman-Review [Spokane, WA], 1949

Sportologue, 1928

The Spur, 1925

Statesman Journal [Salem, OR], 1929

The Tacoma Daily Ledger [Tacoma, WA], 1933

Tallahassee Democrat [Tallahassee, FL], 2017

The Tampa Daily Times [Tampa, FL], 1929

TIME, 1930–1932

Tucson Daily Citizen [Tucson, AZ], 1953

U.S. Air Services, 1929

The Upland News [Upland, CA], 1932

Valley News [Van Nuys, CA], 1967

Valley Times [North Hollywood, CA], 1947–1968

The Valley Tribune [Lake Elsinore, CA], 1978

The Van Nuys News [Van Nuys, CA], 1928–1965

Variety, 1926–1932, 2017

Ventura County Star [Ventura, CA], 1941, 1986

Ventura Free Press [Ventura, CA], 1928

Victoria Daily Times [Victoria, BC, Canada], 1925

The Washington Post, 2018

The Washington Times [Washington, DC], 1933

Washington Times-Herald [Washington, Indiana], 1928

The Whittier News [Whittier, CA], 1932

The Wichita Sunday Eagle [Wichita, KS], 1926

The Winnipeg Evening Tribune [Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada], 1929

The Winona Republican-Herald [Winona, MN], 1926

Moore, William D. "Riding the Goat: Secrecy, Masculinity, and Fraternal High Jinks in the United States, 1845–1930." Winterthur Portfolio 41, no. 2/3 (2007).

 

Archival Sources

 

Unless otherwise noted, all archival materials cited are housed in The Los Angeles Breakfast Club's private collection.

 

The Los Angeles Breakfast Club Archives, including bulletins, brochures, member correspondence, photographs, diary entries, and meeting recordings 1924–2025.

The Breakfast Clubber, The Los Angeles Breakfast Club internal newsletter, 1939–1940. 

Ham and Egg News, The Los Angeles Breakfast Club internal newsletter, 1964–1980, 1994. 

The Los Angeles Breakfast Club: On the Air, podcast, episodes 15, 22, 25, 26, 34, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, The Los Angeles Breakfast Club, 2018–2024.

 

***

 

Braille Institute Archives, including materials related to the Breakfast Bridge Club, Los Angeles, CA.

Cecil B. DeMille Papers, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT.

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Application to Relocate Building and for Certificate of Occupancy, 3201 Los Feliz Boulevard, September 21, 1964. 

City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Application to Alter–Repair–Demolish and for Certificate of Occupancy, 3201 Los Feliz Boulevard, November 1965.

"Valentino's Funeral Procession — Cortege, Widow, Women Line Street to Pay Homage, Hysterical Women Mass Confusion." [video] Historic Films Stock Footage Archive.

"Bank Workings Described by Secretaries," [caption] Valley Times Collection, Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles, CA, 1959.

"Madame Ernestine Schumann-Heink Performance Flyer, Portland," Maine Memory Network, Maine Historical Society, Portland, ME, ca. 1928.

Patience Worth Collection, Missouri Historical Society Archives, St. Louis.

The Breakfast Club, Ltd., Bankruptcy File No. 22223, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, National Archives at Kansas City, National Archives and Records Administration, Kansas City, MO.

Orra Monnette Papers, Seaver Center for Western History Research, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA.

"Frank P. Flint," Pasadena Digital History Collaboration, Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena, CA, 1918.

Ronald Reagan Gubernatorial Papers, 1966–1974: Press Unit. Folder: "Speeches – Governor Ronald Reagan, 1967 [06/20/1967–09/28/1967]." Box P17. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, CA.

Bowers v. DeMond et al., No. 316481; DeMond v. DeMond, No. D-79582; Los Angeles Breakfast Club and Riverside Drive Breakfast Club v. Crosetti et al., No. 473618. Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

Griffith Family Papers; Peggy Hamilton Adams Papers. UCLA Library Special Collections, Los Angeles, CA.

"Coolidges Visit California — Outtakes," [video] Fox Movietone News Story 5-327. Fox Movietone News Collection, Moving Image Research Collections, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, February 19, 1930.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1980 Census of Population, Volume 1: Characteristics of the Population, Chapter A: Number of Inhabitants — California. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1982.

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Hollywood Bowl. Draft. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

 

Websites

 

Websites listed alphabetically by site name. For reference and database sites consulted for multiple individual entries, one consolidated listing is provided rather than a separate entry for each page.

 

Powell, Amy. "USC Removes Building Name, Bust of Former University President from Campus over Racially Divisive Views." ABC7, June 13, 2020.

"Don Juan (1926)." AFI Catalog of Feature Films.

"Past Potentates of Al Malaikah Shriners." Al Malaikah Shriners.

Putnam, Robert "The Strange Disappearance of Civic America." The American Prospect, December 19, 2001.

Skocpol, Theda. "Associations Without Members." The American Prospect, December 19, 2001.

Selcer, Richard. "This Pair Flew 172 Hours, 32 Minutes Straight in the Sky over Fort Worth in 1929. Why?" AOL, March 30, 2024.

Britannica.com. Multiple entries consulted for biographical and historical background.

California State Library. Governor biography pages consulted for historical background.

"Ernestine Schumann-Heink." City of San Diego Digital Archives.

Gaughan, Liam. "This Iconic Actor Was One of the Original Founders of the Oscars." Collider, January 30, 2024.

Chiland, Elijah. "Photo Exhibit Looks Back on LA's Lost Architectural Treasures." Curbed, July 10, 2017.

Meares, Hadley. "The Women Who Made Los Angeles the 'Athens of America.'" Curbed, July 21, 2015.

Walker, Alissa. "It's About Time Hollywood's D.W. Griffith Monument Came Down." Curbed, August 27, 2020.

"Bob Gurr." D23.

Mallory, Mary. "Hollywood Heights: Hollywoodland Opens March 31, 1923." The Daily Mirror, April 5, 2022.

Mallory, Mary. "Hollywood Heights: L.J. Burrud: Hollywoodland Publicity Man and Western Adventurer." The Daily Mirror, May 4, 2015.

"The Duke Kahanamoku Story." Duke Kahanamoku (official site).

Sanchez, Jesus. "Grand Opening Today for 100-Bed Los Feliz Homeless Shelter [Updated]." The Eastsider LA, July 24, 2020.

"Rex Taylor — Signed — Screenwriter — Dick Tracy — G-Men." eBay. Accessed September 4, 2026.

Find a Grave. Multiple entries consulted for biographical and burial information on Los Angeles Breakfast Club members and associates.

"The Los Angeles Breakfast Club." Friends of Griffith Park, June 20, 2018.

"First Olympic Village." Guinness World Records.

"O.J. Simpson." Heisman.com.

Edwards, Lee. "What Made Reagan a Truly Great Communicator." The Heritage Foundation, February 5, 2018.

History.com Editors. "Star of the Silent Screen Rudolph Valentino Dies." History.com, last updated August 25, 2025 (originally published February 9, 2010).

"Building the Bowl: From Dream to Destination." Hollywood Bowl Museum.

"Pepper Tree Lane." Episode 3, The First 100 Years podcast, Hollywood Bowl.

Dugan, Steven. "Ticket to the Twenties Themes: The History of Radio in Los Angeles." The Homestead Blog, September 27, 2016.

Spitzzeri, Paul R. "All Over the Map: A Tarzana Tract Map, ca. 1924–25." The Homestead Blog, October 21, 2019.

Spitzzeri, Paul R. "From Point A to Point B: A Pair of Photos of the Pride of Los Angeles Triplane, 10 August 1927." The Homestead Blog, August 10, 2021.

Spitzzeri, Paul R. "'From Sublime to Ridiculous': Guy W. Finney and 'California Graphic' Magazine, 20 August 1927." The Homestead Blog, August 20, 2020.

Spitzzeri, Paul R. "Striking a Chord with a Press Photo of Opera Singer Ernestine Schumann-Heink, February 1928." The Homestead Blog, March 27, 2023.

Spitzzeri, Paul R. "That's a Wrap with the 'Loew's State Newsette,' 30 December 1927." The Homestead Blog, December 30, 2020.

"The Shades of Night Are Falling Fast" (also known as "Upidee"). Hymnary.org.

IMDb. Multiple entries consulted for filmography and biographical verification.

Bono, Sal. "O.J. Simpson's Forgotten First Wife: Who Is Marguerite Whitley?" Inside Edition, July 13, 2016, updated July 19, 2016.

International Olympic Committee (Olympics.com). Multiple entries consulted for athlete and Olympic Village background.

"Fred A. Cady." International Swimming Hall of Fame.

"Armed Forces." Joe DiMaggio (official site).

Jackson, Ashawnta. "1929 Women's Air Derby Changed Views on Women Pilots." JSTOR Daily, March 8, 2022.

Montoya, Yvonne. "Hollywood Was Supposed to Be a Christian Utopia Free from Alcohol, Gambling and Prostitution. How'd That Work Out?" LAist, August 18, 2020.

Rabe, John. "The Murderous Lover Who Lived in a Silver Lake Attic. A True Story." LAist, April 15, 2022.

Meares, Hadley. "The Origin Story of Tarzana, a Neighborhood Named After an Ape-Man." LA Weekly, July 2, 2016.

"James Mount" [obituary]. Legacy.com, republished from the Los Angeles Times.

"Population by City, 1960–2000, Los Angeles County, California." Los Angeles Almanac.

L. E. Behymer Collection, 1879–1947. Finding aid, Online Archive of California, Los Angeles Public Library.

Photo Friends. "A Quiet Evening with a Quick Death — The Demise of Bugsy Siegel." Los Angeles Public Library, July 21, 2017, updated April 5, 2023.

Silon, David. "Tarzan in Los Angeles: The Legacy of Edgar Rice Burroughs." Literary Traveler, June 17, 2007.

"Office History." Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

"Jean Hersholt." Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Star Walk.

"History of Polio: Outbreaks and Vaccine Timeline." Mayo Clinic.

Owen, Jesse. "America Has an Epidemic of Loneliness — Old-Fashioned Social Clubs Might Be the Answer." Medium, October 16, 2024.

"The Evolution of the Commercial Flying Experience." National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian.

"1929 National Women's Air Derby." National Aviation Heritage Area.

National Baseball Hall of Fame. Multiple entries consulted for biographical and historical background.

National Museum of American History (Smithsonian). Multiple objects consulted for historical background.

"Ed Lewis." National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

"Football Throwback: 1969 Rose Bowl." Ohio State Buckeyes, April 9, 2020.

Oscars.org. Multiple entries consulted for biographical and award history.

"History of Pasadena City College." Pasadena City College.

"Douglas Fairbanks (1883–1939)." American Experience, PBS.

Ritter, Ken (Associated Press). "O.J. Simpson, Disgraced Football Hero Who Was Acquitted of Murder in 'Trial of the Century,' Dies at 76." PBS NewsHour, April 11, 2024.

Bartlett, James. "The Strangest Club in Los Angeles, the L.A. Breakfast Club." PBS SoCal, March 16, 2017.

Jao, Carren. "The Commission that Shaped the Los Angeles River's Bridges." PBS SoCal, November 12, 2015.

Jao, Carren. "Riots, Love Fests, Buried Secrets: Griffith Park's Hidden Histories." PBS SoCal, October 16, 2019.

Masters, Nathan. "From Daisy Dell to the Hollywood Bowl, a Little Musical History for Summer." PBS SoCal, June 23, 2011.

Morgan, Ewan. "The Olympic Village: A Los Angeles Innovation." PBS SoCal, July 22, 2021.

de Artola, Alicia. "Throwback Thursday: An Ovation for USC Football's 'Noblest Trojan of Them All.'" Reign of Troy, May 23, 2019.

"History: Rotary and Boys Week." Rotary International. Archived June 8, 2026.

Palmer, Karen. "This 100-Year-Old Breakfast Club Is One of the Quirkiest Hangs in California." SFGate, January 31, 2024.

Heil, Meredith. "How the Olympic Village Evolved from Makeshift Cabins to a City Within a City." Smithsonian Magazine, August 8, 2024.

Diliberto, Gioia. "Patience Worth, Author from the Great Beyond." Smithsonian Magazine, September 2010.

"Lucille La Verne." Snow White Museum.

Zminda, Don. "A Home Like No Other: The Dodgers in L.A. Memorial Coliseum." Society for American Baseball Research, 2011.

"1932 Olympic Games." Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games.

Kim, Nic Cha. "Breakfast with Friends." Spectrum News 1, May 9, 2019.

Millward, David. "University Cancels Phrases 'Bury the Hatchet' and 'Killing Two Birds with One Stone.'" The Telegraph, December 20, 2022.

United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum. Multiple athlete profiles consulted for biographical background.

Noymer, Andrew. "Figure 2: Life Expectancy in the USA, 1900–98." University of California, Berkeley, Department of Demography. Archived February 20, 2025.

"1951 Football." University of San Francisco Athletics Hall of Fame, inducted 2009.

Meares, Hadley Hall. "Unlucky Star: The Brief, Bombastic Life of Rudolph Valentino." Vanity Fair, September 14, 2021.

Moncure, Billy. "Pirate, Honorable War Hero, or Nazi Agent? — Count Felix von Luckner." War History Online, October 26, 2018.

"Theodore R. Jacobs" [architect biography]. Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

"Ed 'Strangler' Lewis." WWE.

"'51 USF Dons | Undefeated and Uninvited [News]" [video]. YouTube, posted by University of San Francisco, February 3, 2014.

"The Breakfast Club with Lily and Phil" [video]. YouTube, posted by LA Meekly, March 30, 2018.

"Breaking Through the Clouds: The First Women's National Air Derby" [video]. YouTube, posted by breakingthruclouds, March 24, 2011.

"Transport: Aviation: Female Pilots" (1929) [video]. Posted by British Pathé, YouTube, October 20, 2020. Archived September 1, 2025. Originally a Gaumont Graphic Newsreel (Reuters).

"The Voice of Hollywood (1930), Hosted by Johnny Mack Brown, with Jack Duffy" [video]. YouTube, posted by Joseph Blough, January 15, 2022.

"The Voice of Hollywood (1930), Hosted by Reginald Denny" [video]. YouTube, posted by Joseph Blough, January 17, 2022.