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Dean, Fred (audio interview #3 of 6)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the third of six interviews and it was conducted in Dean's Long Beach home. 5/24/1982
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- 2020-10-21
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- *** File: cbfdean4.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-4:18)... Dean's family increased the wholesale part of the radio business they owned and sold the retail part of the business to his brother Kenneth. Dean moved the wholesale business to Long Beach Boulevard. Manufacturers then began selling their products directly to businesses that had once been Dean's customers. Dean then began selling parts only to dealers until 1970 when they sold the business. (4:18-10:58)... Dean traded the building that his business was on for some land that was used for boarding horse. He has continued to keep the horse stables open but, due to a recent city ordinance, had to move the horses out of this part of town. The City Council decided to use the property for low income housing. This happened despite the fact that many of the Council members told him they were on his side. As a result of this decision, Dean has decided to retire on his 84th birthday, which is just a couple days after the day the horses are to be removed from the property. (10:58-15:04)... Dean has been a member with Chamber of Commerce on and off since 1921. In 1951, he served as President of the Chamber of Commerce and was instrumental in obtaining the property for a new state college from Fred Bixby. D. W. Campbell, who was manager of the Chamber of Commerce at the time, also worked on this matter. Dean was invited, in 1952, to the dedication of the library at the new college. (15:04-18:35)... Dean was involved in bringing the "Miss Universe" and "Miss USA" pageants to Long Beach as part of his Chamber of Commerce activities. The "Miss Universe" contest was sponsored by a man who owned a bathing suit company in Los Angeles. The pageants were held in Long Beach from 1952 to 1955. Then the contest was moved to another town. (18:35-22:21)... The Chamber of Commerce got involved in the "Miss Universe" pageant to try to gain international exposure for Long Beach. As a member of the Chamber, he traveled as a representative of Long Beach to Japan, Switzerland and South America and people often asked him about "Miss Universe." The pageant helped the city gain recognition. (22:21-26:27)... Dean worked on the subsidence issue while a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Oil companies did not take responsibility for subsidence. Congressman Johnson and Herman Ridder started a committee, which Dean was a part of, to deal with subsidence. The committee met at the Press Telegram and was the driving force behind getting oil companies to take responsibility for subsidence. Darrell Neighbors was a contact man between the committee and the City Council. Eventually oil companies agreed to put in repressurizing pumps developed by the Nishkian Company to pump water into the ground to stop the subsidence. Subsidence had caused the Craig Shipyard to sink 13' below water level and dikes surrounded it. (26:27-29:30)... The Navy filed sued many companies who were producing oil in the Long Beach harbor area. They charged that producing oil was causing subsidence. This law suit was crucial to getting subsidence stopped. Admiral James represented Long Beach in Washington and lobbied for help with the subsidence problem. Subsidence is prevented, at the time of the interview, by putting a barrel of water in the ground for every barrel of oil taken out. End of tape
- SUBJECT BIO - Fred Dean was a local businessman who prospered when the radios he sold became popular. He was also interested in local politics and appointed to the boards of directors of such public agencies as the Long Beach Water Commission and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). In this series of interviews, that were conducted as part of a project to study the impact of oil on Long Beach, Dean talks about his public service. He was on the MTA board when the Pacific Electric street cars stopped running in southern California and he served on the Water Commission when they sold some of their land for commercial development. Dean was also an active member of the Long Beach Mounted Police and as urban sprawl engulfed Long Beach, he fought to keep part of town where they could keep their horses. TOPICS - radios; radio parts; stables; horses; subsidence; Long Beach Chamber of Commerce; Long Beach State College; and "Miss Universe;"
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