LOCAL HISTORY: Former mayor Jan Dennis recognized for 60 years of business
by Mark McDermott
A lot happened in 1961. John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th president of the United States, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly in space, the civil rights activists known as the Freedom Riders took buses into the South to challenge segregation, and East Germany began construction of the Berlin Wall.
Something historic also happened in Manhattan Beach, although its significance wouldn’t be apparent until much later. Jan Dennis moved to town. She and her husband, Stan, moved down the coast from Santa Monica, bringing with them their kids and a fledgling little business called JanStan Studios. And it was through that business that Dennis, over the course of the next six decades, became the greatest historian Manhattan Beach has yet known.
The City Council last week honored Dennis, who has written nine books chronicling local history, for operating the longest-running home-based business ever in Manhattan Beach. It began, Mayor Suzanne Hadley recalled, when Dennis wondered why nobody had written a comprehensive history of Manhattan Beach.
“And Jan has a quote that she says has motivated her decades of service here to Manhattan Beach,” Hadley said. “Jan says, and I’m quoting, ‘I wondered why someone didn’t do something. And then I realized I was that someone.’ That’s a great way to live life, Jan.”
Dennis, who in 1984 became only the second woman in the city’s history to serve as mayor, said the rewards of her role as the city’s historian have included falling even more in love with Manhattan Beach.
“My intent of a business license for 60 years of Manhattan has shown me my ups and downs in the development of Manhattan Beach [and] has just been a phenomenal lifestyle and life,” Dennis said. “I love Manhattan Beach. I have had my disagreements with Manhattan Beach and many of its residents, but believe me, my sincerity and my true passion is to see that development gets done in a manner that will make us all proud of our community. And I think that the soul of a community and its history is its intent.”
Dennis was born and raised in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and later attended art school in New York City. She began her career working in newspaper advertising with J.C. Penny, then worked in the graphic arts department for a publishing house that specialized in pictorial books and current events magazines. All of this background, fused with Dennis’s passion for her adopted hometown, resulted in JanStan Studios and her nine books on Manhattan Beach. The books include a general history of Manhattan Beach, a history of women in the city, a history of local architecture, a history of Sepulveda Boulevard, a history of the pier, and histories of the police and fire departments.
“I work at the MB Library, and there’s literally a whole shelf and half of Jan’s books, which is just fantastic,” Hadley said.
Dennis’s research materials are now housed at University of California Dominguez Hills library, which requested the treasure trove a few years ago.
“They contacted Jan and said you have a gold mine there, we’d like to have it,” Hadley said. “The Jan Dennis Research Collection of the History of Manhattan Beach represents Jan’s dedication and commitment to the city that she loves so much.”
Hadley asked how many boxes were included in the collection.
Councilperson Steve Napolitano and Jan Dennis at her 75th birthday party.
“Well, I think we had 145 various elements to the presentation,” Dennis said “That’s all from city council to personalities…Many people would be amazed to see how many of these names are at the library. Anyone, for the rest of the life of the history [collection], can go over there. I’m sure Steve Napolitano will be one of the names you can read in many, many volumes. We have hundreds and hundreds of boxes of research.”
Councilperson Steve Napolitano, who was the youngest person ever to serve on the council during his first stint in the 1990s, said he had the good fortune to write a forward to one of Dennis’s books.
“She got me going early on, from the very first day, and continues with me,” Napolitano said. “And I continue with her. So I will see you soon, Jan. Congratulations.”
Councilperson Joe Franklin expressed astonishment at the sheer scale of the workload Dennis undertook.
“I mean, what an example of terrific work ethic,” Franklin said. “Your writing, your research, and you’re continuing still to serve Manhattan Beach with your research for the Bruce’s Beach Task Force, helping us find our past and understand it and document it…. I’ve been honored to see your library and it’s just amazing how you can get it all done. Thank you for being such an inspiration and help.”
Dennis let slip two secrets. Since completing the history of MBFD last year — which was the first of her books to have a co-author, her grandson Luke Jelmini — Dennis had claimed that she was done. But last week she equivocated, ever so slightly.
“Suzanne knows that I did spread a little rumor,” Dennis said. “So we’ll see.”
“I vowed to keep my mouth shut,” Hadley said. “But one more project cookin’.”
The other reveal was that she has a big birthday coming up. Dennis will be 90.
“Well I hope people will be around, because next year we’re gonna have one big blowout,” Dennis said. “This is an advertisement…. So, I hope we’ll all have our dancing shoes.”
Dennis departed the Zoom meeting with a few words of wisdom.
“I’m going to leave you with this one comment that I have felt since leaving high school, and it was my determination to be productive and to help other people,” Dennis said. “Believe in yourself, be honest with yourself, and most of all, think for yourself.”
After the meeting, Napolitano noted that Manhattan Beach would not quite be the Manhattan Beach residents know and love without its beloved historian.
“Jan is an institution in town and a bridge to old school MB,” Napolitano said. “She dedicated herself to the community, serving on council, volunteering through many local groups and documenting our history. We need more Jan Dennises.”
See JanStanStudio.com for more information and to order books. ER