Whitley Heights 101

6617 Iris Drive

This Spanish Colonial Revival Villa was built in 1923 by architect Arthur S. Barnes. The 3,052 square foot home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and has little alterations other than a porch being converted into a recreation room with a wet bar in 1972. When the the owners obtained a permit to build in 1922, the property was listed as 6805 Iris Drive and changed shortly thereafter. Sound-man Allen Parker lived here in 1936 and actually ran an amateur radio station out of the home.

Former CBS founder and owner, Major J. Andrew White and his wife, artist Kay Alexandra White, lived at 6617 Iris Drive from the 1940s until the 1960s. The Columbia Broadcast System, debuted on Sept. 18, 1927, broadcasting from temporary studios at WOR in New York. Major White was the master of ceremonies for the opening three-hour broadcast which carried over 16 stations. Thereafter, it broadcasted 10 hours a week — two hours each on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evenings, plus Sunday afternoons. Andrew was first married to Katherine Titus, a Follies girl, who he divorced while he was living in New York.

Andrew retired from CBS at the age of 40 and tried form a new national network, the American Broadcast System in which he distributed its programs via transcription discs instead of using expensive AT&T phone lines.  However, he never found the financial backing to get the company off the ground indicating he was 15 years ahead of his time. Yes, he was absolutely correct! After some more unsuccessful business ventures, J. Andrew White and his second wife, Kay Alexandra moved to Hollywood in 1940 and settled into 6617 Iris Drive with their daughter Madeline and three year old son, Blair.

During World War II, Andrew became a Signal Corps Major working long hours writing textbooks and devising training schedules. After the war, he earned a doctorate of psychology degree and became a full-time psychologist while teaching a few courses at the University of Southern California. His daughter, Madeline joined the Navy and became a member of WAVES, the Navy Women’s Reserve and was stationed at Pearl Harbor.

Kay also went into psychology but was also a talented artist. In 1947, Kay Alexandra White established the Eminent Portrait Partners in her home which was to help others who wanted a portrait painted of themselves to be able to find the right artist. She is one of the artists. She had office hours at 6617 Iris Drive and had art showings occasionally.

In 1950, tragedy struck the White home. Their 13 year old son, Blair, was shot and killed by a police officer while driving the stolen vehicle. Blair was with 18 year old Wilson Dunn, who was residing at 6766 Wedgewood Place (now torn down for the freeway) when they stole a British made roadster vehicle on Melrose Avenue. The car was registered to Tom Kelley, who happened to be the White’s neighbor and across the street at 6630 Iris Drive. Kelley did not know the vehicle was stolen until the next day. The boys were joy riding the next evening when the police spotted the stolen vehicle on Hollywood Blvd. Blair, who was driving, refused to stop and a high speed chase began through Hollywood Hills with the car sometimes reaching 70 miles per hour.

Officer Robert C Maier, who was riding a police motorcycle, motioned for the car to pull over. Instead of stopping, Blair attempted to run over the officer so he shot four times into the vehicle when the roadster spun out of control and hit three parked cars. Blair was shot in the back of the head and died. Dunn, the passenger, was sent to the hospital in critical condition and would survive the accident.

A March 10 coroner’s jury deemed the shooting an “excusable homicide” and Andrew angrily attacked the verdict as “outrageous, a travesty of justice and gross miscarriage”. Andrew and others sat in the hearing and were upset that the officer was not charged in Blair’s death and felt the officer could have shot a tire in the vehicle rather than into it. Officer Maier indicated he fired to warning shots just as the vehicle nearly ran into him. When the vehicle failed to stop, he shot into the vehicle twice more. The police were called to maintain order of the hearing as spectators booed.

The event was a senseless tragedy in many ways. A young boy stealing a vehicle with an 18 year old who allowed him to drive. Blair endangering others by going on a high-speed chase through narrow curving streets and trying to run over a police officer. Perhaps the police officer could have shot the tires of the stolen vehicle and Blair would be alive. Now two neighbors having to face one another.

After grieving the tragic loss, the Whites opened up a psychological consulting center called The White Center in 1956. In addition, Andrew became president of the Whitley Heights Civic Association and was outspoken in trying to block the state from bulldozing homes in Whitley Heights to make way for the Hollywood Freeway. Unfortunately, it would be another fight with officials that would be lost.

In 1951, Major White returned briefly to radio– this time as a disc jockey at KNX in Hollywood. Now calling himself simply Andy White, he co-hosted the program “Encore Night” with Jim Hawthorne. The show was aired Tuesdays at midnight where Andrew played 1930s pre-recordings while reminiscing about the “old days”. While he attracted an older crowd, the show was short-lived. On June 7, 1957, White appeared briefly on a Ralph Edwards “This is Your Life” television show honoring Ted Husing, an old colleague. Andrew died in 1961 while living at this residence. Below, 6617 Iris Drive has a patio on the roof of the residence.