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{{short description|American Christian activist (born 1950)}} | |||
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'''Howard Fieldstead Ahmanson, Jr''' (born ]) is an heir of the ] fortune built by his father, ] Ahmanson Jr. is a multi-] ] and financier of the causes of many conservative Christian cultural, religious and political organizations. He has been highly influential and generous with conservative Republicans and Evangelicals. | |||
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{{Infobox person | |||
| name = Howard F. Ahmanson Jr. | |||
| image = Howard PRimage.jpg | |||
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| caption = Ahmanson Jr. in 2016 | |||
| birth_name = | |||
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|2|3}} | |||
| birth_place = ], U.S. | |||
| death_date = | |||
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| alma_mater = ] (])<br/>] (]) | |||
| occupation = Heir, financier | |||
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| spouse = {{marriage|Roberta Green Ahmanson|1986|}} | |||
| children = David Ahmanson | |||
| parents = ]<br/>Dorothy Johnston Grannis | |||
| relatives = ] <small>(stepmother)</small><br/>] <small>(cousin)</small><br/>] <small>(cousin)</small> | |||
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'''Howard Fieldstad Ahmanson Jr.''' (born February 3, 1950) is an American Christian activist. He is the son of ], the founder of ]. | |||
==Biography== | |||
Ahmanson has recently joined a PCA Presbyterian church. Formerly he and his wife were members of an Anglican church under a Ugandan diocese. Ahmanson has stated that his departure from the Anglican church was not based on any disapproval of their joining the Ugandan diocese. He lives in ], ]. He has been married to Roberta Green Ahmanson since ]. He is somewhat reclusive and has ];<ref>Doward, J. ''The Observer.'' March 6, 2005.</ref> his wife usually communicates with the media and others on his behalf. | |||
Ahmanson was born on February 3, 1950. He is the son of Dorothy Johnston Grannis and the ] financier ] (1906–1968).<ref name="Burden of Wealth">Larsen, Peter. "Burden of Wealth" Orange County Register. August 8, 2004. See also, Eric John Abrahamson, ''Building Home: Howard F. Ahmanson and the Politics of the American Dream'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2013)</ref> He has Tourette syndrome.<ref name="Salon2004" /><ref name="About Us">{{cite web |title=Howard Ahmanson and Roberta Ahmanson Bio |url=https://www.fieldstead.com/ahmansons/ |website=Fieldstead & Company |access-date=28 August 2020}}</ref> His father was a prominent businessman in the savings and loan industry; Howard Sr. founded ], which thrived in the ]<ref name="nyt-1968jun18">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/06/18/archives/howard-f-ahmanson-61-dies-one-of-nations-wealthiest-men-led-home.html |title=Howard F. Ahmanson, 61, Dies; One of Nation's Wealthiest Men: Led Home Savings & Loan in Los Angeles – Fortune Estimated at $300-Million |newspaper=] |date=June 18, 1968 |page=47 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |url-access=subscription}} {{subscription required}} via ].</ref> and ultimately expanded throughout California<ref name="lat-1991jan23">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-23-fi-483-story.html |title=Home Savings to Buy Coast's S.D. Branches |newspaper=] |date=January 23, 1991 |first=Greg |last=Johnson}}</ref> and into ],<ref name="nyt-1984aug13">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/13/business/home-savings-in-acquisition-washington-aug-12.html |title=Home Savings in Acquisition Washington, Aug. 12 |newspaper=] |date=August 13, 1984 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref> ]<ref name="lat-1987apr29">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-04-29-fi-1532-story.html |title=H. F. Ahmanson agreed to buy an S&L in Arizona. |newspaper=] |date=April 29, 1987 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref> and ].<ref name="sfss-1997feb12">{{cite news |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-02-12/business/9702110360_1_frontier-airlines-holdings-greenwich-air-services |title=Banking |newspaper=] |date=February 12, 1997 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |access-date=March 1, 2020 |archive-date=April 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409111523/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-02-12/business/9702110360_1_frontier-airlines-holdings-greenwich-air-services |url-status=dead }}</ref> His father was well known for his support of the arts, an area in which Ahmanson Jr. has continued to be active.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Friedlander |first1=Whitney |title=WHO WAS HOWARD AHMANSON SR. AND HOW DID HE CHANGE L.A.? A NEW BOOK TRIES TO ANSWER |url=https://www.laweekly.com/who-was-howard-ahmanson-sr-and-how-did-he-change-l-a-a-new-book-tries-to-answer/ |website=LA Weekly |date=March 15, 2013 |access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> | |||
His parents divorced when he was ten years old.<ref name="Burden of Wealth"/> Despite the trappings of wealth, Howard Jr. was a lonely child. He has said, "I resented my family background, could never be a role model, whether by habits or his lifestyle, it was never anything I wanted."<ref name="OC Reg 1985">Haas, Jane Glenn. "The Salvation of H.F. Ahmanson Jr." Orange County Register. 1985.</ref> His father died when he was eighteen, and Ahmanson Jr. inherited his father's fortune.<ref name="theguardian.com">Doward, Jamie. ''The Observer''. March 6, 2005.</ref> | |||
== Biography == | |||
He attended ], where he obtained a degree in economics.<ref name="Salon2004">{{cite news | url=https://www.salon.com/2004/01/06/ahmanson/ | title=Avenging angel of the religious right | work=] |date=January 6, 2004 | first=Max | last=Blumenthal | access-date =December 26, 2019}}</ref> He then toured Europe, but returned because of complications with ].<ref name="Salon2004"/> He earned a master's degree in ] at the ].<ref name="Salon2004" /> | |||
Ahmanson is the son of the American financier ] (]-]). His parents divorced when he was 10, and his mother died shortly afterwards. Despite the trappings of wealth, he was a lonely child. Ahmanson has said, "I resented my family background, could never be a role model, whether by habits or his lifestyle, it was never anything I wanted." Howard Ahmanson, Sr. died when his son was 18, and Ahmanson Jr. inherited a vast fortune. | |||
In 1986, Howard married journalist Roberta Green.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Howard |url=https://howardahmansonjr.com/about-howard-ahmanson/ |website=Howard Ahmanson Jr. |publisher=Howard Ahmanson |access-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Ahmanson Jr. went to ], where he obtained a degree in economics. He then toured Europe, but he returned because of arthritis. He earned a master's degree in ] at the ] and has fluency in several foreign languages. | |||
{{Dominionism}} | |||
In the 1970s Ahmanson became a ] and joined ]'s ] movement. Ahmanson served as a board member of Rushdoony's ] for over ten years. In an article published in the ''Orange County Register'' on June 30, 1996, Ahmanson said he had left the Chalcedon board and "does not embrace all of Rushdoony's teachings."<ref></ref> However, ] reported in 2004 that "until Rushdoony's death in 2001, Ahmanson served on the board of his think tank, Chalcedon, granting it a total of $1 million."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/01/06/ahmanson/ | title=Avenging angel of the religious right | publisher=] |date= January 6, 2004 | first=Max | last=Blumenthal | accessdate =2007-05-17}}</ref> | |||
==Monetary contributions== | |||
In the 1970s Ahmanson was instrumental in starting the career of conservative Christian intellectual ] who then became an important figure in the conservative ] media and political scene where Ahmanson has also been a key behind-the-scenes player. | |||
===Organizations and projects=== | |||
Ahmanson is a board member of the John M. Perkins Foundation and (along with his wife) the ]. He was a member of the ] in 1984-85, 1988 and sat on its Board of Governors in 1996 and 1998. He has written articles appearing in ''The Los Angeles Times'', ''Philanthropy'', ''Religion and Liberty'', and other publications. | |||
'''Fieldstead and Company''', Howard and Roberta Ahmanson's personal office, has a steady history of contributing parts of his father's inherited fortune to a plethora of organizations and initiatives.<ref name="theguardian.com"/> It is stated that the mission of Fieldstead and Company is to "make the world more like ... a place where there is no darkness, no sickness, no hunger or thirst, no slavery, no prisoners, no tears, no death".<ref name="Giving-Fieldstead & Company">{{cite web |title=Giving |url=https://www.fieldstead.com/giving/ |website=Fieldstead and Company |access-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref> The following is a list of organizations to which the Ahmansons have contributed significant amounts in the past: | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Association of orthodox Episcopal churches, led by Rev. Canon David Anderson.''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two">{{cite news |last1=Larsen |first1=Peter |title=Rich in Faith Part Two |agency=OC Register |date=9 August 2004}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''; ] ], one of many entities that has received contributions from Ahmanson Jr.]] | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Roberta Ahmanson graduated from Calvin College in 1972.''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''By way of Fieldstead & Company, Ahmanson Jr. sponsors series of conferences and events predominantly focused on matters such as housing policy and urbanism, all held at Chapman University’s Wilkinson College for Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.''<ref>{{cite web |title=The City of Bell Scandal Revisited |url=https://www.chapman.edu/wilkinson/about/events/bell-conference.aspx |website=Chapman University Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences |publisher=Chapman University |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=REIMAGINING LOCAL GOVERNMENT: STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY IN OUR COMMUNITIES |url=https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/localgovernmentreconsidered/strengtheningdemocracy/ |website=Chapman University Digital Commons |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=4th Annual Local Government Conference: Will California Ever Figure Out How to House Itself? |url=https://www.chapman.edu/wilkinson/about/events/4th-annual-local-government-conference.aspx |website=Chapman University Wilkinson College |publisher=Chapman University |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Future of Transportation: 5th Annual Public Policy Conference |url=https://www.chapman.edu/wilkinson/about/events/local-government-conference.aspx |website=Chapman University Wilkinson College |publisher=Chapman University |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Think tank seeking "to restore the principles of the American Founding to their rightful, preeminent authority in our national life."''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Mission |url=https://www.claremont.org/page/claremonts-mission/ |website=Claremont Institution |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Howard Ahmanson Jr. served on the board of directors for the ''']''', a proponent for the ] movement.''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://www.discovery.org/p/ahmanson/ |website=Discovery Institute |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Founders of a team that published 28 volumes of the '''"]."'''''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Think tank that view domestic and foreign policy issues from a ] point of view.''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Evangelical-based relief organization with annual budget of about $76 million and programs in 37 countries in the developing world.''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/> | |||
*'''Fullhart-Carnegie Museum Trust'''; ] | |||
:→''The contribution funds a museum in the town of Perry, Iowa, in which Roberta Ahmanson grew up.''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Fullhart Carnegie Charitable Trust |url=https://www.hometownheritage.org |website=Hometown Heritage |publisher=Dallas County Foundation}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
*'''International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation (INFEMIT USA)'''; ] | |||
*''']'''; ]<ref name="Larsen">{{cite news | title=Giving generously to their causes | last=Larsen | first=Peter | url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/sections/news/article_193704.php | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512020257/http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/sections/news/article_193704.php | archive-date=May 12, 2009 | work=Orange County Register}}</ref> | |||
*'''John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation''' | |||
*'''Maranatha Trust'''; ] | |||
*'''Mariners Christian School'''; ] | |||
:→''Private school in Costa Mesa with about 650 students in preschool to eighth grade.''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/> | |||
*'''National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families''' (formerly National Coalition Against Pornography);<ref></ref> ]. | |||
*'''Orange County Classical Academy'''; ] | |||
:→''A K-12 Classical Education public charter school.''<ref>{{cite web |title=Homepage |url=https://orangecountyclassicalacademy.org |website=Orange County Classical Academy |access-date=30 December 2020}}</ref> | |||
*'''Orange County Rescue Mission'''; ] | |||
:→''The Orange County Rescue Mission provides housing, support, and treatment, for people struggling with poverty and drug addiction.''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Scheller |first1=Christine A. |title=Connoisseur for Christ: Roberta Green Ahmanson |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/january/art-roberta-green-ahmanson.html |website=Christianity Today |date=January 19, 2011 |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Similar to his programs at Chapman University, Ahmanson Jr. sponsors events and conferences on the topics of urbanism and affordable housing at Pepperdine's School of Public Policy.''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Coghlan |first1=Ed |title=Clash between housing affordability, preserving neighborhoods in spotlight at Pepperdine |url=https://caeconomy.org/reporting/entry/clash-between-housing-affordability-preserving-neighborhoods-in-spotlight-a |website=California Economic Summit |date=March 28, 2019 |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A Home in California: Are Our Communities Sustainable? |url=https://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/events/2019/sustainable-home-conference.htm |website=Pepperdine School of Public Policy |publisher=Pepperdine University |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Formerly "St. James Episcopal Church", the Ahmansons have attended the "evangelical church with charismatic roots."''<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/> | |||
*'''CityGate''' ''(Formerly "Sen USA")''; ] | |||
:→''Evangelical Christian missionary group working in Central and Eastern Europe.''<ref name="Larsen"/><ref>{{cite web |title=CityGate Homepage |url=https://citygate.org |website=CityGate |access-date=23 December 2020}}</ref> | |||
*'''Strong Towns'''; ] | |||
:→''Ahmanson Jr. has made several contributions to Strong Towns, a think tank and community that encourages Americans and Canadians, alike, to rethink the way municipal infrastructure is developed and sustained in their respective communities.''<ref>{{cite web |title=Speakers for the Regional Gathering |url=https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/11/20/speakers-for-the-regional-gathering?rq=Fieldstead |website=Strong Towns | date=November 20, 2019 |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
:→''Fieldstead & Company has supported Voice of OC, a startup nonprofit newsroom founded by Norberto Santana, Jr. to cover events in Orange County.''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Santana Jr. |first1=Noberto |title=Santana: Voice of OC is Ten Years Old Today |url=https://voiceofoc.org/2019/06/santana-voice-of-oc-is-ten-years-old-today/ |website=Voice of OC |date=June 3, 2019 |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''; ] | |||
Howard has previously served as a board member for both the ] and the ]. Ahmanson is a major supporter of the ], whose ] supports ideas centered around ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Discovery Institute-Board Members |url=https://www.discovery.org/p/ahmanson/ |publisher=Discovery Institute |access-date=February 14, 2020}}</ref><ref name="wilgoren">{{Cite web| last = Wilgoren| first = Jodi| title = Politicized Scholars Put Evolution on the Defensive| work = ]| date = August 21, 2005| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/21/national/21evolve.html| access-date = June 24, 2010}}</ref> Through Fieldstead, Ahmanson's wife Roberta, a former religion reporter and editor for the '']'',<ref>{{cite web |title=Howard & Roberta Ahmanson |url=https://www.fieldstead.com/ahmansons |website=Fieldstead & Company }}</ref> has funded and been directly involved with some programs of the ], including the Washington Journalism Center that encompasses both the Summer Institute of Journalism, and the Fieldstead Journalism Lectures.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614141957/http://wjc.bestsemester.com/overview.asp |date=June 14, 2006 }}</ref> Fieldstead has funded other Christian journalistic projects such as Gegrapha<ref></ref> and GetReligion. A common thread in all of these organizations is ], a personal friend of Roberta Ahmanson, who directs the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, teaches journalism, and writes a weekly column for the ]. Roberta Ahmanson recently co-edited a book called ''Blind Spot.''<ref>Marshall, Paul A.; Gilbert, Lela; & Green-Ahmanson, Roberta (eds.). (2009). . New York: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0195374371}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1080/15348420903536844| title=Blind Spot: When Journalists Don't get Religion| year=2010| last1=Buddenbaum| first1=Judith M.| journal=Journal of Media and Religion| volume=9| pages=47–51| s2cid=143471762}}</ref> Howard and Roberta are also supporters of ''The Media Project,'' an organization that "educates journalists on the importance of religion" and its digital magazine, ''Religion Unplugged.''<ref>{{cite web |title=Staff & Board |url=https://www.themediaproject.org/board |website=The Media Project |access-date=15 September 2020}}</ref> The Ahmansons have also supported the creation of the 29-volume ''Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture'', published by ].<ref name=Levenick>{{cite news|last=Levenick|first=Christopher|title=Ex Libris Philanthropy|url=http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/higher_education/ex_libris_philanthropy|access-date=June 6, 2012|newspaper=Philanthropy|date=Spring 2012}}</ref> | |||
''TIME'' Magazine covered the Ahmansons in their 2005 profiles of the , classifying them as "the financiers." | |||
===Social advocacy and political involvement=== | |||
Howard Ahmanson Jr. is a trustee of The Ahmanson Foundation, which was established by his father and is still operated by members of the Ahmanson family. The Ahmanson Foundation serves Los Angeles County non-profit organizations "by funding cultural projects in the arts and humanities, education at all levels, health care, programs related to homelessness and underserved populations as well as a wide range of human services." | |||
{{Conservatism US|activists}} | |||
Ahmanson was a major advocate for the abolition of California redevelopment agencies, especially concerned about what he viewed as the widespread abuse of ] and public subsidies. He financed the publication ''"Redevelopment: The Unknown Government"'' and the formation of '''Municipal Officials for Redevelopment Reform''' (MORR), alongside ], California legislator and former mayor of ], in 1995.<ref name="Redevelopment">{{cite web |last1=Norby |first1=Chris |last2=Curtis |first2=Sherry |last3=Gilson |first3=Ruth |last4=Heinl |first4=Jean |last5=Kaplan |first5=Douglas |last6=Shaffer |first6=Dr. Ralph |last7=Sutton |first7=Christopher |title=Sutton |url=http://sanlorenzoexpress.com/norby1.htm |website=Redevelopment: The Unknown Government |publisher=Municipal Officials for Redevelopment Reform |access-date=February 24, 2020}}</ref> Norby later served in the California State Assembly when redevelopment agencies were abolished in 2011 and MORR was disbanded, having succeeded in its sole purpose.<ref name="Pacific Legal">{{cite web |last1=Sandefur |first1=Timothy |title=Celebrating a victory for property owners in California |date=March 7, 2012 |url=https://pacificlegal.org/celebrating-a-victory-for-property-owners-in-california |publisher=Pacific Legal Foundation |access-date=February 24, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Ahmanson was a registered Republican until 2008; Ahmanson, worried about the narrowing focus of the California Republican Party on lowering taxes, announced that he switched parties and was a registered Democrat from 2008 to 2018.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greenhut |first1=Steven |title=Howard Ahmanson Becomes Democrate |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2009/03/23/howard-ahmanson-becomes-a-democrat-seriously/ |website=Orange County Register |date=March 23, 2009 |publisher=OC Register |access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref> Finding fault with both parties, he is now officially registered as a "No Party Preference" (NPP) voter (formerly referred to as a ] by the state of California).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ahmanson, Jr. |first1=Howard |title=I Became a "Decline to State" |url=https://howardahmansonjr.com/2018/07/i-became-a-decline-to-state/ |website=Howard Ahmanson Jr. |date=July 4, 2018 |access-date=15 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Padilla |first1=Alex |title=No Party Preference Information |url=https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/political-parties/no-party-preference#:~:text=Voters%20who%20registered%20to%20vote,Party%20Preference%20(NPP)%20voters.&text=A%20nonpartisan%20ballot%20contains%20only,local%20nonpartisan%20offices%20and%20measures. |website=California Secretary of State |publisher=State of California |access-date=29 September 2020}}</ref> In the 2020 presidential election Ahmanson voted for and endorsed ] of the ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ahmanson |first1=Howard |title=The American Conservative 2020 Presidential Symposium |url=https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-american-conservative-2020-presidential-symposium/ |website=The American Conservative |date=October 27, 2020 |access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref> | |||
== Controversial Beliefs == | |||
Ahmanson was a lifelong friend of ], and his ties to the ] movement continue to be a source of controversy. For example, in an article on the Episcopal Diocese of Washington website attacking the ], Jim Naughton emphasized Ahmanson's ties with Rushdoony.<ref>"Naughton, Jim, "Following the Money", from the Episcopal DIocese of Washington website</ref> Ahmanson told the ''Orange County Register'' in 1985, "My goal is the total integration of biblical law into our lives." After a $3,000 contribution to ], a Republican running for governor of ], was returned in 2002, the Ahmansons admitted they had an image problem and let the ''Orange County Register'' do on them in 2004 to give the public a more accurate view of their work and beliefs. | |||
'']'' magazine included the Ahmansons in their 2005 profiles of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America, classifying them as "the financiers."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America |url=https://time.com/time/covers/1101050207/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050209024332/https://time.com/time/covers/1101050207/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 9, 2005 |magazine=Time |publisher=Wayback Machine |access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> In the 1970s, Howard became a board member of the ] and served until 1996. In 1996, he said he had left the Chalcedon board due to the fact that he "did not embrace" all of the teachings held by its leadership.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060531105603/http://reason.com/9811/col.olson.shtml |date=May 31, 2006 }}</ref><ref name="Flank2007">{{cite book |title=Deception by Design: The Intelligent Design Movement in America |last=Flank |first=Lenny |year=2007 |publisher=Red and Black Publishers |location=St. Petersburg, FL |isbn=978-0-9791813-0-6 |page=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pClbgUWwrI0C&pg=PA52 |access-date=January 11, 2011}}</ref> | |||
Ahmanson seems to have moderated his views to adopt a broader but still extremely far-right ] political theology. He is reported to have "never supported his mentor's calls for the death penalty for homosexuals," rather(), but as the ''Orange County Register'' reported in 2004, "he stops just short of condemning the idea," saying that he "no longer consider essential" to stone people who are deemed to have committed certain immoral acts. Ahmanson also told the ''Register'', "It would still be a little hard to say that if one stumbled on a country that was doing that, that it is inherently immoral, to stone people for these things. But I don't think it's at all a necessity." () Also in 2004, when asked by Max Blumenthal for ''Salon'' if "she and her husband would still want to install the supremacy of biblical law," Roberta Ahmanson replied: "I'm not suggesting we have an amendment to the Constitution that says we now follow all ] of the Old Testament ... But if by biblical law you mean the last seven of the ], you know, yeah." () | |||
In 2004, the '']'' wrote a five-part profile of the Ahmansons.<ref name="Rich in Faith Part Two"/> | |||
In any case, Ahmanson was (at the time of Naughton's article) a member of an Episcopal parish<ref>Naughton, ibid.</ref>, and in the 2004 ''Salon'' profile he distanced himself from some of Rushdoony's opinions on homosexuality. <ref>"Due to my association with Rushdoony, reporters have often assumed that I agree with him in all applications of the penalties of the Old Testament Law, particularly the stoning of homosexuals," Ahmanson wrote. "My vision for homosexuals is life, not death, not death by stoning or any other form of execution, not a long, lingering, painful death from AIDS, not a violent death by assault, and not a tragic death by suicide. My understanding of Christianity is that we are all broken, in need of healing and restoration. So far as I can tell, the only hope for our healing is through faith in Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection from the dead." From ''Salon'' profile of January 6, 2004</ref> He has supported certain organizations of the ]; these, quite naturally, do not promote the death penalty for homosexuals; rather they regard homosexuality as a condition to be dealt with similarly to alcoholism and drug addiction; certainly they oppose hatred and gay-bashing. | |||
Holding a strong interest and passion in the activity of ], Ahmanson Jr. has assumed a role of activism alongside '''FreeSUP SoCal''' in opposition to a particular determination made by the ] (USCG) that has been used to require operators of standup paddleboards to wear a ] (PFD). FreeSUP SoCal maintains that a leash is the more common and frequently most effective safety equipment, as evidenced by its widespread usage and the sport's significantly diminished mortality rate compared to other water sports. In 2014, the organization that would come to be known as FreeSup SoCal and which receives funding by Ahmanson, offered a formal, public comment to the USCG that explained how the PFD determination which was intended to promote safety for standup paddleboarders sorely lacked data justifying the determination, and that making determinations without the necessary data could have the opposite effect of putting paddleboarders in peril.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hoedt |first1=Jeffrey |title=Legal Determination on Vessel Status of Paddleboard |url=https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/workflow_staging/Publications/480.pdf |publisher=United States Coast Guard |access-date=1 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Douglas |first1=S. |title=PFD Laws – SUP or Paddleboards Now Classified as Vessels |url=https://worldpaddleassociation.com/pfd-laws-sup-or-paddleboards-now-classified-as-vessels/ |website=World Padde Association |publisher=WPA |access-date=1 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Azadian |first1=James |title=Comment in Response to Docket No. USCG-2010-0164, Department of Homeland Security |url=https://homeport.uscg.mil/Lists/Content/Attachments/540/Ahmanson%20SUP%20Comment.pdf |website=Enterprise Counsel Group |publisher=ECG |access-date=1 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Who We Are - FreeSUP |url=https://freesup.org/who-we-are/ |website=FreeSUP |access-date=30 December 2020}}</ref> | |||
== Political, Cultural, and Religious Financing == | |||
Howard and Roberta Ahmansons' personal philanthropic organization is Fieldstead and Company, AKA the Fieldstead Institute, an unincorporated entity which has never had an online presence or telephone number. Fieldstead's Senior Program Officer is ], an expert in public policy funding and a member-at-large of the ] (OCMS). OCMS is part of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Mission Theologians network (INFEMIT), which previously shared its address with the Ethics and Public Policy Institute. At that time, between 2000 and 2004, the EPPI contributed $357,414 to OCMS and $262,000 to the Network for Anglican Mission and Evangelism (NAME) which was then supporting the secession of American Episcopal dioceses from the ECUSA over such issues as the ordination of a gay bishop. INFEMIT and OCMS, also a recipient of funds from the Ahmanson-funded ] (AAC), aim to redefine missionary evangelism among Evangelicals, training them in missions as an activity that can include the normal professional activities of laymen. Ahmanson himself has written for an OCMS publication. | |||
==Arts and humanities== | |||
Fieldstead does not disclose its finances, but in 2004 they gave the ''Orange County Register'' In order of the total amount they had given up to that point: Fullhart-Carnegie Museum Trust, Perry, Iowa; ], Madison, N.J.; ], Seattle, Wash.; ]; ], Newport Beach; ], Grand Rapids, Mich.; ], Washington, D.C.; Food for the Hungry, Phoenix, Ariz.; Mariners Christian School, Costa Mesa; Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington D.C.; ], La Mirada, Calif.; Orange County Rescue Mission, Santa Ana, Calif.; The Chalcedon Foundation, Vallecito, Calif.; INFEMIT USA, Washington, D.C.; ], Washington, D.C.; ], Federal Way, Wash.; Maranatha Trust, Washington, D.C.; National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, Cincinnati, Ohio; SEN USA, Hobart, Ind.; ], Madison, Wis. | |||
] "View of Vétheuil", Owned by Ahmanson before he donated to ]]] | |||
===Organizations=== | |||
Ahmanson has funded the magazine ], the magazine of the Chalcedon Foundation. He funds the ] and has been an important donor to the ]. He has donated to numerous political candidates and organizations associated with the ]. Some of his donations have been returned because of his views and associations. | |||
Howard has made numerous contributions and offered support for art initiatives across ] and ]. The following is a collection of organizations and projects in the arts & humanities that have benefited from the support of Howard Ahmanson, Jr. | |||
*'''Bridge Projects'''<ref name="Bridge Projects">{{cite web |title=Bridge Projects |url=https://www.bridgeprojects.com/about |access-date=January 29, 2020 |publisher=bridgeprojects.com}}</ref> | |||
*'''Stanley Spenser: An English Vision''' installment at the ], Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Richard |first1=Paul |title=STANLEY SPENCER'S GLOBAL VILLAGE |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/10/11/stanley-spencers-global-village/28755252-f4df-4450-84f6-8a6a44ba4e88/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=February 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=STANLEY SPENCER: AN ENGLISH VISION |url=https://hirshhorn.si.edu/exhibitions/stanley-spencer-an-english-vision/ |website=Smithsonian |access-date=February 7, 2020}}</ref> | |||
*'''The Sacred Made Real'''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sacred Made Real |url=https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/past/the-sacred-made-real |website=The National Gallery of London |access-date=February 7, 2020}}</ref> | |||
*'''Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS)'''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Samuel |title=New 'Visual Commentary on Scripture' website offers new way to study the Bible |url=https://www.christianexaminer.com/article/new-visual-commentary-on-scripture-website-offers-new-way-to-study-the-bible/52540.htm |website=The Christian Examiner |publisher=Christian Examiner |access-date=February 16, 2020}}</ref> | |||
*''']: The Final Years''' at the ], London<ref>{{cite web |title=Caravaggio: The Final Years at The National Gallery |url=https://artdaily.cc/news/11518/Caravaggio--The-Final-Years-at-The-National-Gallery |website=Art Daily |access-date=February 7, 2020}}</ref> | |||
*''']'''<ref name="Howard Ahmanson-Board Member">{{cite web |title=Howard Ahmanson-Board Member |url=https://www.discovery.org/p/ahmanson/ |access-date=February 14, 2020 |publisher=Discovery Institute}}</ref> | |||
*'''Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture''', published by ]<ref name=Levenick/> | |||
*'''] in San Francisco'''<ref name="discovery.org">{{cite web |title=Howard Ahmanson-Board Member |url=https://www.discovery.org/p/ahmanson |access-date=February 14, 2020 |publisher=Discovery Institute}}</ref> | |||
*'''The Museum of Contemporary Art in Mexico City'''<ref name="Howard Ahmanson-Board Member"/> | |||
===Bridge Projects=== | |||
Ahmanson was the chair of the California Independent Business ] (PAC) and later Allied Business Pac. Since the 1980s, he has successfully worked with a small number of conservative businessmen and multi-millionaires, principally ] of Container Supply Corporation, to organize ] and increase conservatives' control of the California state government. Ahmanson and Hurtt created the Capitol Resources Institute, which became a major lobbying force for Christian conservatives in Sacramento. The Ahmansons made political donations to the 1993 California school voucher initiative (which failed) and a 1992 voucher initiative in Colorado. Donations from the Ahmansons, Howard's former associate Rob Hurtt and the PACs they are involved with added up to almost $3 million split between 19 conservative candidates and various causes in 1992. Hurtt himself was elected State Senator in 1994 and became chairman of the Republican campaign committee for the State Legislature. At that time, the GOP was only four seats away from majority control in 1994. This political success has been seen as the result of planning undertaken at the Third Annual Northwest Conference for Reconstruction in 1983 by Wayne Johnson, who, according to , helped craft California's 1990 term limits initiative and "managed the campaigns of several Ahmanson-backed candidates in 1992." The Ahmansons supported ], a ban on same-sex marriage in California. Howard Ahmanson contributed $62,500 to the Western Center for Law and Religious Freedom, which, among other things, aided the citizens and leaders of the ] school district defend their choice to ban '']'', a book by ], for its "profanity" and "vulgarity." (Other Ahmanson political initiatives and their results are discussed in .) Since the year 2000 his influence on California politics and his spending of money on it has somewhat lessened. | |||
Bridge Projects is an LA-based art gallery that consists of a community of artists, scholars, and collectors who are inspired by art history, spirituality, living religious traditions, and contemporary art practices. Roberta, wife of Ahmanson and current chair of Bridge Projects, founded the gallery and community with LA-based artist, Linnea Spransy, back in 2017.<ref name="Bridge Projects"/> While Howard played a supportive role in bringing this project to fruition, Roberta spearheaded the vision for Bridge Projects, which has featured a number of progressive art installations, such as: | |||
*''"10 Columns,"'' an immersive light installation created by prominent Southern California artist, ](active:10/12/19-2/16/20).<ref>{{cite web |title=In this art gallery, conversations about religion and spirituality are welcome |last1=Molina |first1=Alejandra |url=https://www.theoaklandpress.com/lifestyles/in-this-art-gallery-conversations-about-religion-and-spirituality-are/article_08fc9800-2b2d-11ea-a068-67b6e3ba2e8b.html |website=The Oakland Press |access-date=January 29, 2020}}</ref> | |||
* ''“A Composite Leviathan,”'' a two-part exhibition created by a collection of emerging Chinese artists (active: 9/12/20-2/27/21).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Elaine |first1=James |title=A Composite Leviathan |url=https://www.bridgeprojects.com/exhibitions/a-composite-leviathan |website=Bridge Projects }}</ref> | |||
*''“To Bough and To Bend,”'' an exhibition of many artists using trees as imagery for discussions around ecological issues (active: 03/11/20-07.25/20).<ref>{{cite web |title=To Bough and To Bend |url=https://www.bridgeprojects.com/exhibitions/to-bough-and-to-bend |website=Bridge Projects |access-date=15 January 2021}}</ref> | |||
==Personal life== | |||
Through Fieldstead, Ahmanson is a primary backer of the ] and has supported groups such as the ] on projects to resist efforts to liberalize ] ] churches, particularly with respect to issues concerning ]. | |||
Ahmanson lives with ].<ref name="bankroll">Doward, J. ''The Observer''. March 6, 2005.</ref> His primary residence is in ], CA.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2010/01/13/mega-mansion-debuts-in-newport-beach/|title=Mega-mansion debuts in Newport Beach|date=January 13, 2010|work=Orange County Register|access-date=May 26, 2018}}</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
Ahmanson is also a major backer of the ], whose ] opposes the theory of ] and manages a public relations campaign promoting ]. | |||
{{reflist|2}} | |||
Ahmanson has been the major funder for the Capitol Resource Institute, the California political front of ]; the Western Center for Law and Religious Freedom, and the California Pro-Life Council. Ahmanson helped found the ] and has been a major donor to ]'s Free Congress Foundation. Fieldstead has acted as co-publisher with Crossway Books to publish the "Christian Worldview Series" of books under the title ''Turning Point'', in which some critics have perceived the influence of Reconstructionist ideas. The leadership of the Institute for Religion and Democracy and of the Discovery Institute, though both in the conservative Christian category, are not Dominionist or theonomic. | |||
Through Fieldstead, Ahmanson's wife Roberta, a former religion reporter, some programs of the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (now known as the ]). These include the CCCU's ], its , its Summer Institute of Journalism, and its Fieldstead Journalism Lectures. Fieldstead has funded other conservative Christian journalistic projects such as and ]. A common thread in all of these organizations is a personal friend of Roberta Ahmanson's: ] (www.tmatt.net) who directs the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, teaches journalism, and writes a weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service. Roberta Ahmanson is currently working on a book called ''They Got It All Wrong'' that covers major news stories she believes were "not covered accurately ... because they left out religion." | |||
Fieldstead funded for a few years a summer seminar at ] that started in 1996 with a grant from ]. The Ahamansons also fund Christian scholars such as James Davison Hunter, a chaired professor of ] and ] at the ]. The Ahmansons pledged support of $1 million through 2005 for Hunter's Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, which publishes ''The Hedgehog Review''. This journal received an award from the ] in 2000 as the best new academic journal. | |||
Ahmanson has funded a four-year series of conferences on holistic development co-sponsored with Food for the Hungry International, held in ], ], ], and the ], an international photo exhibit and book on the victims of war in ], support for music education for elementary students in public schools in ], sponsorship of ''Stanley Spencer: An English Vision'', a retrospective exhibition at the ] in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Contemporary Art in Mexico City, and the Palace of Fine Art in San Francisco. | |||
Rev. ], an African American minister who promotes racial reconciliation and holistic community development, has been financially supported by Howard Ahmanson through the Christian Community Development Association, a coalition of inner-city ministries. | |||
<table align="center" class="toccolours" cellspacing="0"> | |||
<tr bgcolor="#CCCCFF"> | |||
<th align="center">There are several interrelated articles on Misplaced Pages about this subject, see:<br> | |||
]; ]; ]; ]</th> | |||
</tr> | |||
</table> | |||
== Notes == | |||
<references /> | |||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
* | * | ||
* () | |||
*, by Michael S. Hamilton and Johanna G. Yngvason, '']'' (July 8, 2002) | |||
* | |||
*, by Peter Larsen, a five-part series profiling the Ahmansons from the '']'' (August 8-12, 2004) | |||
* '']'' (August 8, 2004) | |||
* '']'' (August 8, 2004) | |||
* '']'' (August 8, 2004) | |||
*, by Laurie Goodstein and David D. Kirkpatrick, '']'' (May 22, 2004) (Reprinted at ) | |||
*, by Frederick Clarkson. Part three in a series, '']'', a publication of ] (March/April 1994) | |||
*, by Frederick Clarkson, '']'', a publication of ] (Spring 2006) | |||
*, by ], '']'' (November 1998) | |||
*, by Jim Naughton, a two-part series from ''The Washington Window'' (April 2006), a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington D.C. | |||
*, by Max Blumenthal, ''].'' | |||
*] responds to Blumenthal's ''Salon'' article in and Blumenthal replies, noting Olasky's often unnoticed ] intellectual sources. (February 2004) | |||
*, by ], ''Freedom Writer'' (May 1995), a publication of the | |||
*, by ], ''Freedom Writer'' (January/February 1996), a publication of the | |||
*, by ], ''Freedom Writer'' (December 1998), a publication of the | |||
*, '']'' | |||
* by Steve Benen, ''Church & State'' (July/August 2000), a publication of | |||
* by Mark Schapiro (New York: Nathan Cummings Foundation, 1994), a book excerpt published in '']'' | |||
* () ''Contains false and misleading information according to the '''' | |||
* () | |||
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*{{SourceWatch|id=Howard_F._Ahmanson%2C_Jr.|page=Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr.}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 15:24, 24 December 2024
American Christian activist (born 1950)This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Howard F. Ahmanson Jr. | |
---|---|
Ahmanson Jr. in 2016 | |
Born | (1950-02-03) February 3, 1950 (age 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Alma mater | Occidental College (BA) University of Texas at Arlington (MA) |
Occupation(s) | Heir, financier |
Spouse |
Roberta Green Ahmanson
(m. 1986) |
Children | David Ahmanson |
Parent(s) | Howard F. Ahmanson Sr. Dorothy Johnston Grannis |
Relatives | Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson (stepmother) Robert H. Ahmanson (cousin) William H. Ahmanson (cousin) |
Howard Fieldstad Ahmanson Jr. (born February 3, 1950) is an American Christian activist. He is the son of Howard F. Ahmanson Sr., the founder of Home Savings Bank.
Biography
Ahmanson was born on February 3, 1950. He is the son of Dorothy Johnston Grannis and the American financier Howard F. Ahmanson Sr. (1906–1968). He has Tourette syndrome. His father was a prominent businessman in the savings and loan industry; Howard Sr. founded H.F. Ahmanson & Co., which thrived in the Great Depression and ultimately expanded throughout California and into New York state, Arizona and Florida. His father was well known for his support of the arts, an area in which Ahmanson Jr. has continued to be active.
His parents divorced when he was ten years old. Despite the trappings of wealth, Howard Jr. was a lonely child. He has said, "I resented my family background, could never be a role model, whether by habits or his lifestyle, it was never anything I wanted." His father died when he was eighteen, and Ahmanson Jr. inherited his father's fortune.
He attended Occidental College, where he obtained a degree in economics. He then toured Europe, but returned because of complications with arthritis. He earned a master's degree in linguistics at the University of Texas at Arlington.
In 1986, Howard married journalist Roberta Green.
Monetary contributions
Organizations and projects
Fieldstead and Company, Howard and Roberta Ahmanson's personal office, has a steady history of contributing parts of his father's inherited fortune to a plethora of organizations and initiatives. It is stated that the mission of Fieldstead and Company is to "make the world more like ... a place where there is no darkness, no sickness, no hunger or thirst, no slavery, no prisoners, no tears, no death". The following is a list of organizations to which the Ahmansons have contributed significant amounts in the past:
- →Association of orthodox Episcopal churches, led by Rev. Canon David Anderson.
- Biola University; La Mirada, California
- California Policy Center; Tustin, California
- Calvin College; Grand Rapids, Michigan
- →Roberta Ahmanson graduated from Calvin College in 1972.
- →By way of Fieldstead & Company, Ahmanson Jr. sponsors series of conferences and events predominantly focused on matters such as housing policy and urbanism, all held at Chapman University’s Wilkinson College for Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
- →Think tank seeking "to restore the principles of the American Founding to their rightful, preeminent authority in our national life."
- →Howard Ahmanson Jr. served on the board of directors for the Center for Science and Culture, a proponent for the intelligent design movement.
- →Founders of a team that published 28 volumes of the "Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture."
- →Think tank that view domestic and foreign policy issues from a Judeo-Christian point of view.
- →Evangelical-based relief organization with annual budget of about $76 million and programs in 37 countries in the developing world.
- Fullhart-Carnegie Museum Trust; Perry, Iowa
- →The contribution funds a museum in the town of Perry, Iowa, in which Roberta Ahmanson grew up.
- Hudson Institute; Washington, D.C.
- International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation (INFEMIT USA); Washington, D.C.
- InterVarsity Christian Fellowship; Madison, Wisconsin
- John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation
- Maranatha Trust; Washington, D.C.
- Mariners Christian School; Costa Mesa, California
- →Private school in Costa Mesa with about 650 students in preschool to eighth grade.
- National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families (formerly National Coalition Against Pornography); Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Orange County Classical Academy; Orange, California
- →A K-12 Classical Education public charter school.
- Orange County Rescue Mission; Santa Ana, California
- →The Orange County Rescue Mission provides housing, support, and treatment, for people struggling with poverty and drug addiction.
- →Similar to his programs at Chapman University, Ahmanson Jr. sponsors events and conferences on the topics of urbanism and affordable housing at Pepperdine's School of Public Policy.
- →Formerly "St. James Episcopal Church", the Ahmansons have attended the "evangelical church with charismatic roots."
- CityGate (Formerly "Sen USA"); Hobart, Indiana
- →Evangelical Christian missionary group working in Central and Eastern Europe.
- Strong Towns; Brainerd, Minnesota
- →Ahmanson Jr. has made several contributions to Strong Towns, a think tank and community that encourages Americans and Canadians, alike, to rethink the way municipal infrastructure is developed and sustained in their respective communities.
- →Fieldstead & Company has supported Voice of OC, a startup nonprofit newsroom founded by Norberto Santana, Jr. to cover events in Orange County.
Howard has previously served as a board member for both the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation and the Claremont Institute. Ahmanson is a major supporter of the Discovery Institute, whose Center for Science and Culture supports ideas centered around intelligent design. Through Fieldstead, Ahmanson's wife Roberta, a former religion reporter and editor for the Orange County Register, has funded and been directly involved with some programs of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, including the Washington Journalism Center that encompasses both the Summer Institute of Journalism, and the Fieldstead Journalism Lectures. Fieldstead has funded other Christian journalistic projects such as Gegrapha and GetReligion. A common thread in all of these organizations is Terry Mattingly, a personal friend of Roberta Ahmanson, who directs the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, teaches journalism, and writes a weekly column for the Scripps-Howard News Service. Roberta Ahmanson recently co-edited a book called Blind Spot. Howard and Roberta are also supporters of The Media Project, an organization that "educates journalists on the importance of religion" and its digital magazine, Religion Unplugged. The Ahmansons have also supported the creation of the 29-volume Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, published by InterVarsity Press.
Social advocacy and political involvement
Ahmanson was a major advocate for the abolition of California redevelopment agencies, especially concerned about what he viewed as the widespread abuse of eminent domain and public subsidies. He financed the publication "Redevelopment: The Unknown Government" and the formation of Municipal Officials for Redevelopment Reform (MORR), alongside Chris Norby, California legislator and former mayor of Fullerton, California, in 1995. Norby later served in the California State Assembly when redevelopment agencies were abolished in 2011 and MORR was disbanded, having succeeded in its sole purpose.
Ahmanson was a registered Republican until 2008; Ahmanson, worried about the narrowing focus of the California Republican Party on lowering taxes, announced that he switched parties and was a registered Democrat from 2008 to 2018. Finding fault with both parties, he is now officially registered as a "No Party Preference" (NPP) voter (formerly referred to as a decline-to-state voter by the state of California). In the 2020 presidential election Ahmanson voted for and endorsed Brian Carroll of the American Solidarity Party.
Time magazine included the Ahmansons in their 2005 profiles of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America, classifying them as "the financiers." In the 1970s, Howard became a board member of the Chalcedon Foundation and served until 1996. In 1996, he said he had left the Chalcedon board due to the fact that he "did not embrace" all of the teachings held by its leadership.
In 2004, the Orange County Register wrote a five-part profile of the Ahmansons.
Holding a strong interest and passion in the activity of standup paddleboarding, Ahmanson Jr. has assumed a role of activism alongside FreeSUP SoCal in opposition to a particular determination made by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) that has been used to require operators of standup paddleboards to wear a personal flotation device (PFD). FreeSUP SoCal maintains that a leash is the more common and frequently most effective safety equipment, as evidenced by its widespread usage and the sport's significantly diminished mortality rate compared to other water sports. In 2014, the organization that would come to be known as FreeSup SoCal and which receives funding by Ahmanson, offered a formal, public comment to the USCG that explained how the PFD determination which was intended to promote safety for standup paddleboarders sorely lacked data justifying the determination, and that making determinations without the necessary data could have the opposite effect of putting paddleboarders in peril.
Arts and humanities
Organizations
Howard has made numerous contributions and offered support for art initiatives across Los Angeles and Orange County. The following is a collection of organizations and projects in the arts & humanities that have benefited from the support of Howard Ahmanson, Jr.
- Bridge Projects
- Stanley Spenser: An English Vision installment at the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C.
- The Sacred Made Real
- Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS)
- Caravaggio: The Final Years at the National Gallery, London
- Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra
- Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, published by InterVarsity Press
- The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco
- The Museum of Contemporary Art in Mexico City
Bridge Projects
Bridge Projects is an LA-based art gallery that consists of a community of artists, scholars, and collectors who are inspired by art history, spirituality, living religious traditions, and contemporary art practices. Roberta, wife of Ahmanson and current chair of Bridge Projects, founded the gallery and community with LA-based artist, Linnea Spransy, back in 2017. While Howard played a supportive role in bringing this project to fruition, Roberta spearheaded the vision for Bridge Projects, which has featured a number of progressive art installations, such as:
- "10 Columns," an immersive light installation created by prominent Southern California artist, Phillip K. Smith III(active:10/12/19-2/16/20).
- “A Composite Leviathan,” a two-part exhibition created by a collection of emerging Chinese artists (active: 9/12/20-2/27/21).
- “To Bough and To Bend,” an exhibition of many artists using trees as imagery for discussions around ecological issues (active: 03/11/20-07.25/20).
Personal life
Ahmanson lives with Tourette syndrome. His primary residence is in Newport Beach, CA.
References
- ^ Larsen, Peter. "Burden of Wealth" Orange County Register. August 8, 2004. See also, Eric John Abrahamson, Building Home: Howard F. Ahmanson and the Politics of the American Dream (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2013)
- ^ Blumenthal, Max (January 6, 2004). "Avenging angel of the religious right". Salon. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- "Howard Ahmanson and Roberta Ahmanson Bio". Fieldstead & Company. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- "Howard F. Ahmanson, 61, Dies; One of Nation's Wealthiest Men: Led Home Savings & Loan in Los Angeles – Fortune Estimated at $300-Million". The New York Times. June 18, 1968. p. 47. Alternate Link(subscription required) via ProQuest.
- Johnson, Greg (January 23, 1991). "Home Savings to Buy Coast's S.D. Branches". Los Angeles Times.
- "Home Savings in Acquisition Washington, Aug. 12". The New York Times. August 13, 1984.
- "H. F. Ahmanson agreed to buy an S&L in Arizona". Los Angeles Times. April 29, 1987.
- "Banking". Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. February 12, 1997. Archived from the original on April 9, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- Friedlander, Whitney (March 15, 2013). "WHO WAS HOWARD AHMANSON SR. AND HOW DID HE CHANGE L.A.? A NEW BOOK TRIES TO ANSWER". LA Weekly. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- Haas, Jane Glenn. "The Salvation of H.F. Ahmanson Jr." Orange County Register. 1985.
- ^ Doward, Jamie. Anti-gay millionaire bankrolls Caravaggio spectacular. The Observer. March 6, 2005.
- "About Howard". Howard Ahmanson Jr. Howard Ahmanson. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "Giving". Fieldstead and Company. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ Larsen, Peter (August 9, 2004). "Rich in Faith Part Two". OC Register.
- "The City of Bell Scandal Revisited". Chapman University Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Chapman University. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- "REIMAGINING LOCAL GOVERNMENT: STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY IN OUR COMMUNITIES". Chapman University Digital Commons. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- "4th Annual Local Government Conference: Will California Ever Figure Out How to House Itself?". Chapman University Wilkinson College. Chapman University. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- "The Future of Transportation: 5th Annual Public Policy Conference". Chapman University Wilkinson College. Chapman University. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- "Mission". Claremont Institution. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- "Board of Directors". Discovery Institute. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- "Fullhart Carnegie Charitable Trust". Hometown Heritage. Dallas County Foundation.
- ^ Larsen, Peter. "Giving generously to their causes". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009.
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center
- "Homepage". Orange County Classical Academy. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- Scheller, Christine A. (January 19, 2011). "Connoisseur for Christ: Roberta Green Ahmanson". Christianity Today. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- Coghlan, Ed (March 28, 2019). "Clash between housing affordability, preserving neighborhoods in spotlight at Pepperdine". California Economic Summit. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
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