Résumé

Draftsman, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1940.

Principal, Herman C. Light, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, c. 10/16/1940. In 10/1940, Light's office was at 6510 Drexel Avenue in Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1051, accessed 07/22/2025.)

Professional Activities

Light joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1945.

Professional Awards

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA).

College

B.A., Architecture, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, c. 1932. Light belonged to Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity at Ohio State. (SeeThe Ohio State University The Makio Yearbook, 1930, p. 176.)

Relocation

Herman Charles Light was born in Saint Louis, MO, on 09/06/1911. Herman's family dwelled at 5782 Kingsbury Avenue in Saint Louis's DeBaliviere Place neighborhood. They llikely stayed in Saint Louis until late 1925 or early 1926. In 1927, they resided at 1714 Bryden Road in Columbus, OH. (See Columbus, Ohio, City Directory, 1927, p. 992.)

Herman attended The Ohio State University in Columbus between 1928 through 1932, graduating in the worst phase of the Depression. In 1930, while a student at Ohio State, Light resided at home with his parents and younger brother James at 417 Morrison Avenue in the Franklin Park area of the city. The Lights paid $47 per month in rent, in line with other renters in the vicinity. Homeowners valued their houses approximately at $9,000-$10,000, above the national average of between $6,000 and $7,000. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Columbus, Franklin, Ohio; Page: 25B; Enumeration District: 0044; FHL microfilm: 2341530, accessed 07/22/2025.)

In early 1940, Light worked as a draftsman and lived at 120 1/2 South Sweetzer Avenue in the Beverly Grove area of Los Angeles. (SeeLos Angeles, California, City Directory, 1940, p. 1183.) On 10/16/1940, Light dwelled at 1240 South La Jolla Avenue in the South Carthay neighborhood of Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1051, accessed 07/22/2025.)

In 1950, the Lights resided at 528 North Citrus Avenue in a middle-class section of Los Angeles's Hancock Park neighborhood. Light's neighbors were largely white collar, and had a mix of ethnicities.The household included Herman and his wife, their two daughters, his widowed grandmother-in-law, Nellie Fleischmann (born in CA), and a domestic worker, Lillian Beecham (born c. 1894 in LA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 3060; Page: 16; Enumeration District: 66-632, accessed 07/22/2025.)

Parents

His father was Alexander Light (born 11/24/1885 in MO-d. 11/08/1977 in Orange County, CA), who, according to the 1920 US Census, worked as a traveling salesman for the Samuels Shoe Company, and in 1930, as a wholesale shoe salesman. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: St Louis Ward 28, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri; Roll: T625_953; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 587, accessed 07/22/2025 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Columbus, Franklin, Ohio; Page: 25B; Enumeration District: 0044; FHL microfilm: 2341530, accessed 07/22/2025.)

Alexander's parents were Solomon Light (born c. 1857-d. 03/28/1928) and Florentine "Flora" Wall (born c. 1863 -d. 05/02/1900 in Saint Louis, MO), whose family had migrated from Germany. They married on 05/29/1881 in Saint Louis, MO. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Missouri State Archives; Jefferson City, MO, USA; Missouri Marriage Records [Microfilm], accessed 07/22/2025.) Flora, who, according to her death certificate, died of "atrophy of brain" in 1900, had either a traumatic brain injury or disease that left her disabled "for many years." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Missouri State Archives; Jefferson City, MO, USA; Missouri Death Records [Microfilm] Source Information: Missouri, U.S., Death Records, 1850-1931 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008, accessed 07/22/2025.) Solomon Light also worked as a menswear salesman in Saint Louis. whose family immigrated from Germany. After Flora's death Solomon remarried to Catherine Moreno (born 11/25/1867 in IL-d. 07/19/1955 in Los Angeles County, CA).

His mother was Helen C. Greditzer (born 09/01/1890 in MO-d. 04/05/1966 in Orange County, CA), who managed the household. Helen was one of three children had by Herman Sigismund Greditzer (born c. 05/1856 in Poland-d. 08/13/1909) who immigrated to the US in about 1890, and Valeria Cohn (born 04/14/1873 in Germany-d. 03/25/1950 in Los Angeles, CA). Valeria's family had come to the US in about 1875. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Staatsarchiv Hamburg; Hamburg, Deutschland; Hamburger Passagierlisten; Volume: 373-7 I, VIII A 1 Band 032 C; Page: 490; Microfilm No.: K_1721, accessed 07/22/2025.)

In 1900, Greditzers resided at 223 North Church Street in Belleville, IL. The household included Helen's parents, a brother Melvile Alexander Greditzer (born 08/20/1893 in MO-d. 08/11/1951 in Los Angeles County, CA) and sister Florence Saft Greditzer Kamsler (born 06/29/1898 in Alton, IL-d. 04/01/1975 in Houston, TX). Herman worked as a clothing merchant, and earned enough money to employ a houshold worker, Rosie Schnipper (born c. 08/1888 in IL).(See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Belleville Ward 1, St Clair, Illinois; Roll: 340; Page: 10; Enumeration District: 0081, accessed 07/22/2025.) By 1910, Valeria had been widowed, and had to raise three additional children--Hortence Greditzer (born c. 1901 in IL), Nathan C. Greditzer (born c. 1903 in IL) and Ruth A. Greditzer (born c. 1906 in IL). Valeria served as the President and Treasurer of the Bell Clothing Company, the family business, while Helen worked as a school teacher and Melville as a salesman for the Bell Clothing Company, to earn additional money for the family. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Belleville Ward 1, Saint Clair, Illinois; Roll: T624_321; Page: 1b; Enumeration District: 0083; FHL microfilm: 1374334, accessed 07/22/2025.)

A brother Forrest James Light (born 03/13/1913 in Saint Louis, MO-d. 05/03/1970 in AL) was buried in Jasper, AL. In 1950, Forrest lived in Bexley, OH, and worked as a furniture buyer for a department store. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Bexley, Franklin, Ohio; Roll: 2066; Enumeration District: 25-2, accessed 07/22/2025.)

Spouse

Light wed Shirley Jewel Siegel (born 12/25/1915 in Los Angeles, CA) in 08/1936. They divorced in 06/1969 in Los Angeles, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Divorce Index, 1966-1984 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 07/22/2025.)

Shirley's father Herman Siegel (born 09/19/1887 or 1888 in Tauragė, Lithuania, Russia-d. 04/23/1975 in Orange County, CA) immigrated from Lithuania via Bremen, Germany, in 03/1902, arriving in New York, NY, aboard the Norddeutscher Lloyd liner, S.S. Königin Luise. He wed Maude Katheryn Fleischmann (born 01/1895 in Silver City, NM-d. 10/22/1936 in Los Angeles County, CA) on 04/09/1915 in Los Angeles, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California Department of Public Health, courtesy of www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com. Digital Images, accessed 07/22/2025.) The Siegels lived at 3806 South Hill Street in the Historic South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles on 10/13/1916. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (Nara); Washington, D.C.; Naturalization Records of the U.s. District Court For the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1887-1940; Microfilm Roll: 63; Microfilm Serial: M1524, accessed 07/22/2025.)

Following his divorce, Light married Janet Kline on 11/28/1969 in Las Vegas, NV. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Nevada, U.S., Marriage Index, 1956-2005 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007, accessed 07/22/2025.

Children

He and Shirley had two daughters, Elissa Helen Light (born 12/24/1947 in Los Angeles, CA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Birthdate: 24 Dec 1947; Birth County: Los Angeles Source Information Ancestry.com. California Birth Index, 1905-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 07/25/2024.)

Elissa married William Jay Burleson (born 09/24/1944 in San Diego County, CA) on 07/22/1967. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Wyoming Department of Health; Cheyenne, WY, USA; State Marriage Records, 1941-1972, accessed 07/22/2025.)

Biographical Notes

As noted on his World War II draft registration card of 10/16/1940, Light was Caucasian with a light complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He stood 6-feet tall and weighed 200 pounds. Light wore glasses at this time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1051, accessed 07/22/2025.)

SSN: 550-07-7344.