Westchester Breezeway Exhibit – Panel 9

Community Development & Philanthropy

The U.S. was being drawn into WW II. In anticipation of the need to provide affordable housing for the employees within the defense and aviation industries in the Westchester area, Fritz B. Burns and William H. Hannon subdivided thousands of acres in Westchester to develop housing in the 1940s. The need for affordable housing continued as soldiers returned home from the war effort. Both Burns and Hannon donated millions of dollars toward philanthropic endeavors throughout the Los Angeles region.