OLSEN, Wilfred Franklin, Jr.
OLSEN, Wilfred Franklin (1896-1983)[SS#550-10-7429], born January 8, 1896 in Massachusetts, by 19305 he and his family had moved to Avalon, where he Director of Hotels for the Santa Catalina Island Company. Olsen had managed the Biltmore Hotel, New York City; was Vice-president and Managing Director of the Westward Ho in Phoenix before becoming Director of Hotels at Catalina.
On the island, Olsen managed various island hospitality operations, including Island Villa and Villa Park (1935) and the Hotel St. Catherine, where he served as manager (1939-1941). He also managed the Atwater, Las Casitas, and the Pavilion Lodge when it opened in 1957. Olsen and his family generally lived in quarters provided in various Company hotels.
In 1944 it was said: "Mr. Olsen is one of the best known and most successful hotel operators in the United States." It is said he was a kind man. He sang in the church choir and he loved to dance and socialize. Olsen left the employ of the Santa Catalina Island Company during the war years to run the Casa de Mañana in La Jolla, only to return to the island in 1947 to manage SCICO hotel affairs at the Isthmus and elsewhere.
Wilfred F. Olsen died in May 1983 with Avalon as his last residence.
Wilfred F. Olsen = Margaret M. O'Brien (1898-1961)
- 1. Evelyn T. Olsen (1917-1969)
- 2. Wilfred F. Olsen, Jr. (1922-1968)
- [died at age 46 and is buried in Avalon Cemetery]
Note: After the death of his first wife, Olsen remarried. Today his namesake grandson, Oley III, lives with his wife in Avalon in a home they built.
In the News~
October 1, 1936 [TI/Avalon]: “The members and guests of the Mary Williams Club convened in the Mirror Room of the St. Catherine Hotel on Thursday, September 24, to resume activities. A short business session was held, during which Mrs. W. F. Olsen and Mrs. Harry Downs were elected to membership...”
December 1, 1938 [TI/Avalon]: “Alert. Lost between Avalon and Eagles Nest, a 32 automatic pistol and holster. Finder please return to W. F> Olsen at the S.C.I.Co. office and receive reward.”
December 8, 1938 [TI/Avalon]: “North-bound passengers on the S.S. Avalon on Friday afternoon included... W.F. Olsen...”
March 14, 1940 [TI/Avalon]: “Bon Voyage dinner served Chicago Cubs. With their days of wielding the hickory stick and throwing the horsehide on Santa Catalina Island over for this year, the Chicago Cubs gathered in the Mirror Room of the Hotel St. Catherine Tuesday evening for a bon voyage dinner, hosted by W. G. Olsen, manager of the hotel. More than sixty Cubs, newspaper men, and S.C.I. Company executives were guests at the stag affair...”
June 22, 1944 [TI/Avalon]: “Casa de Mañana changes hands. Mrs. Morrison Hopkins of La Jolla has announced the sale of her unique Southern California hotel, the Casa de Mañana in La Jolla, to Gerald R. White of San Marino. The price was undisclosed. The hotel has in excess of 100 rooms and its grounds consist of over four acres, beautifully landscaped and located on the bluff in La Jolla, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the very few hotels that have continuously remained in one ownership during the past two decades. The new owner has formed a partnership with Mr W. F. Olsen, present managing director of the Casa and under his operation the hotel will continue the same policies that that have been established for it in the past. Mr. Olsen is one of the best known and most successful hotel operators in the United States and has in the past operated such hotels as the Biltmore Hotel, New York City; was Vice-president and Managing Director of the Westward Ho in Phoenix, and Director of Hotels at Catalina.
June 5, 1947 [TI/Avalon]: “Talking it over. A special page of information for personnel of the Catalina Company. This page bought and paid for at straight advertising rates by the Santa Catalina Island Company. Here are the facts on why the change was made at the Isthmus. One of the principal purposes of this page is to keep the personnel of the Catalina Companies posted on facts and prevent the undermining effect of rumor which too often masquerades as fact. Just at present gossip is busy spreading thew rumor that the Isthmus us being used as a stepping stone to all sorts of possible changes in personnel in Avalon. In the interest of fairness to the Santa Catalina Island Company itself and all of its personnel, and particularly to Mr. W. F. Olsen who as director of hotels for the Company some years ago is thoroughly familiar with Catalina, and we with him, and who is just assuming the responsibility of operating the Isthmus for this summer, it seems best to recognize rumors of this kind and take care of them by the very simple process of publishing the facts, which are these. Separate operation works best. From the viewpoint of efficient and effective operation in Avalon, the summer operations at the Isthmus have always been a decided detriment except in those years when the Isthmus was operated as an entirely separate and distinct enterprise, standing squarely on its own feet, and as far as possible in direct competition to the Avalon operations. This fact was borne out again this year when we started to prepare the Isthmus for opening. The efforts of a dozen different people became divided between the Isthmus and Avalon, and their efficiency on their principal jobs suffered accordingly. This is the reason that the policy was changed in mid-stream, so to speak, and we feel very fortunate that Mr. Olsen was available and willing to step in to take over operation of the Isthmus for this summer as a completely independent operator, dealing with the S.C.I.Co. on an arm's length basis. Rumors nearly always harmful. This particular rumor about the Isthmus is one more example of the fact that rumors in general are nearly always unfair and harmful for the following reasons, which apply not just to this situation but to any and all rumors. No company can conduct its business for long without the loyal, whole-hearted cooperation of all its personnel, and you cannot get that cooperation when people feel that they do not know who may be their boss next or if they will even have a job. A corporation just cannot let this happen, so it must lean over backwards to prevent rumor from becoming fact and getting a toe-hold by the "I told you so" method. This can sometimes mean that changes are not made even when they should be in the best interest of the business, and that a good man may be kept out of a better job in spite of his capabilities if to make the change smacks even slightly out of the stepping-stone method backed by gossipy prediction of indirect and devious methods of conducting a business.”
- W. F. Olsen at the Isthmus
Isthmus brochure under Olsen management 
Detail from an Isthmus brochure
