O'Melveny, H. W. (Henry William), 1859-1941.

Henry William O'Melveny was born in Illinois in 1859. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1879. For two years he served as Deputy District Attorney and in 1885 he founded the firm Graves & O'Melveny with Jackson A. Graves. What is now the oldest law firm in Los Angeles, the Firm would undergo a total of nine name changes-always including the name O'Melveny-before becoming O'Melveny & Myers in 1939. O'Melveny also held several civic positions including President of the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission and from 1908 to 1910, he was a member of the Los Angeles Public Library Board. He was also President of the Dominguez Water Company and Vice-President of the Los Angeles Trust & Savings Bank. O'Melveny married Marie Antoinette Schilling in 1887; they had three children, Stuart, Donald, and John. In 2000, O'Melveny & Myers was the 3rd largest law firm in Los Angeles.

From the description of Collection of Henry William O'Melveny, 1885-1940. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 658230815