Fred Harmsen; Citrus Grower Helped Found College

Fred H. Harmsen, 94, one of the first successful citrus growers in the Southland and a co-founder 50 years ago of Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. Harmsen came to La Verne in 1918 and eventually became manager of the La Verne Orange Assn., La Verne Lemon Assn. and La Verne Fruit Exchange. He held those posts from 1945 to 1960. He was a board member of Mt. San Antonio from 1945 to 1971 and president of the board for 18 years. In 1946 he and the so-called Committee of 100 prevailed on Richard Nixon, then a recently discharged Navy officer, to run for Congress. From 1956 to 1959 he also served as a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Education. In 1971 Harmsen moved to San Clemente, where he died May 2.