LABC Presents: 100 Years of the Automobile Club of Southern California's Headquarters

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION: In 1900, ten Los Angeles-area businessmen founded the Automobile Club of Southern California to improve roads, propose traffic laws, and improve overall driving conditions.

As the club grew, they sent teams of cartographers to survey roads, create maps, and install a uniform system of signs, posting thousands of porcelain-on-steel traffic signs throughout the state (which they continued to do until the State of California took over the task in the mid-1950s). They started selling insurance, too. 

Eventually, they commissioned a headquarters on the corner of Figueroa St. and Adams Blvd. Designed by architects Sumner P. Hunt and Silas R. Burns in the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture style, the building was completed in 1923 and still houses parts of the Auto Club today. This year, the building celebrates its centennial, and Morgan Yates will share its history with the LABC.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Morgan Yates is the corporate archivist of the Automobile Club of Southern California, where he has worked since 1999.  He's responsible for a broad range of archival duties, corporate historical programs and public affairs activities and media appearances. He is a longtime contributor to Westways, the Auto Club’s member magazine, where he writes the OffRamp column of photo essays on regional history.  Morgan is a U.S. Army veteran.  He was educated at the University of Colorado (BA History), California State University, Sacramento (MA Public History) and the Claremont Graduate School (MA Education), and lives in Claremont, CA with his wife Susan.

ABOUT THE CLUB: Founded in 1925, the Los Angeles Breakfast Club still thrives with food, friendship, and fun. Our meetings are held in our clubhouse, Friendship Auditorium, located at 3201 Riverside Drive, near the corner of Los Feliz Boulevard, in Griffith Park. Best described as a variety show, attendees enjoy a catered breakfast, silly songs, club traditions, and an interesting presentation from a guest speaker.

TICKETS: Sales on labreakfastclub.com close 48 hours before breakfast. Non-members are $25 and Members receive a 25% discount when logged into their Membership Portal.

Please arrive between 6:45 - 7:00 AM sharp! Doors close at 7:15 AM. Your admission includes a buffet breakfast, enjoyment of our 98-year-old club traditions, plus a special presentation from our Speaker of the Week!

HEALTH & SAFETY: Surgical disposable face masks or medical-grade masks (i.e., KN95, KF94, N95) are strongly recommended when not eating or drinking, especially during the cold and flu season, and will be provided on request.