William Alexander

William Alexander, an architect and philanthropist who supported myriad Southern California arts groups, has died. He was 87. Alexander, an unassuming millionaire who became wealthy investing in real estate, died Monday in Los Angeles. Despite his wealth, Alexander lived simply in a small house in the Hollywood Hills and drove a station wagon that had seen better days.

The only true paradise is a paradise lost. -- MARCEL PROUST * I It is the power of books (when they are good enough) to give readers an experience of an entire life. William Alexander McClung's "Landscapes of Desire: Anglo Mythologies of Los Angeles" is a book more than good enough. The reader gets a sense of the author's life with the idea of Los Angeles (dense with images and citations from the literature) as well as a map through the vast, imaginative work that is this city.

William Alexander may be a millionaire, but he lives in a small house in the Hollywood Hills, drives an old Toyota station wagon and wears simple clothes. "I don't care for gilded luxuries," said the sprightly 81-year-old. "They don't do anything for me." His life is filled with other riches, for he is Los Angeles' patron-of-the-arts extraordinaire --a man who for 20 years has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as countless hours to arts groups.

William Alexander, an architect and philanthropist who supported myriad Southern California arts groups, has died. He was 87. Alexander, an unassuming millionaire who became wealthy investing in real estate, died Monday in Los Angeles. Despite his wealth, Alexander lived simply in a small house in the Hollywood Hills and drove a station wagon that had seen better days.

Some time before the new year, William Alexander will become the all-time basketball scoring leader at Cal State Dominguez Hills, and chances are good he will become the career leader in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. later this season. Alexander is off to a terrific start, averaging 20 points a game and shooting nearly 60% to pace the Toros to a 7-2 start. After a 10-day Christmas break, they play host to Cal State Hayward on Saturday, when the school record figures to fall.

Ricardo Legorreta, the architect who introduced Mexican modernism to a global audience and who brought his crisp, brightly colored aesthetic to downtown Los Angeles with a controversial 1993 redesign of Pershing Square, has died. He was 80. Legorreta died Dec. 30 in Mexico City of liver cancer, according to Adriana Ciklik, a principal in the Mexico City-based firm Legorreta and Legorreta, which the architect had run in recent years with his son Victor. Although Legorreta's work featured the clean lines and spare forms of modern design, it also incorporated elements of Mexican vernacular architecture including thick protective walls, spacious courtyards and bold color.

The only true paradise is a paradise lost. -- MARCEL PROUST * I It is the power of books (when they are good enough) to give readers an experience of an entire life. William Alexander McClung's "Landscapes of Desire: Anglo Mythologies of Los Angeles" is a book more than good enough. The reader gets a sense of the author's life with the idea of Los Angeles (dense with images and citations from the literature) as well as a map through the vast, imaginative work that is this city.

The valedictorian at tonight's Los Angeles City College commencement ceremony will speak from experience when he urges his 550 classmates to look with optimism to the future. Former cocaine addict William Alexander Jr. is happy to forget about the past. 'It's a miracle I'm here, actually," said the man who emerged from a series of rehabilitation centers to become a straight-A student. "I could never imagine this. Never."

William Alexander of Cal State Dominguez Hills and Annie Kniss of UC Riverside were named male and female athletes of the year in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

William Alexander scored 19 points Saturday night to lead Cal State Dominguez Hills to a 70-58 victory over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the championship game of the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. postseason men's tournament at San Luis Obispo. The win qualified Dominguez Hills (22-7) for the NCAA Division II tournament. Cal Poly SLO wound up 19-10.

The valedictorian at tonight's Los Angeles City College commencement ceremony will speak from experience when he urges his 550 classmates to look with optimism to the future. Former cocaine addict William Alexander Jr. is happy to forget about the past. 'It's a miracle I'm here, actually," said the man who emerged from a series of rehabilitation centers to become a straight-A student. "I could never imagine this. Never."

William Alexander may be a millionaire, but he lives in a small house in the Hollywood Hills, drives an old Toyota station wagon and wears simple clothes. "I don't care for gilded luxuries," said the sprightly 81-year-old. "They don't do anything for me." His life is filled with other riches, for he is Los Angeles' patron-of-the-arts extraordinaire --a man who for 20 years has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as countless hours to arts groups.

Some time before the new year, William Alexander will become the all-time basketball scoring leader at Cal State Dominguez Hills, and chances are good he will become the career leader in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. later this season. Alexander is off to a terrific start, averaging 20 points a game and shooting nearly 60% to pace the Toros to a 7-2 start. After a 10-day Christmas break, they play host to Cal State Hayward on Saturday, when the school record figures to fall.

The Cal Lutheran men's basketball team played even with Cal State Dominguez Hills for one half Saturday. Problem is, it was the second half, by which time Dominguez was well on its way to a 78-59 nonconference victory at home. The Kingsmen (1-1) trailed 42-26 at intermission but dropped only three points to Dominguez in the second half. James Faulk led CLU with 19 points. Michael Demeter added 12 and Dave Jacques and Darren Ranck 10 each. William Alexander led Dominguez with 21 points.