The surprising story of Santa Claus
Dec 04, 2019 12:00 PM
Nat Read
The surprising story of Santa Claus

The surprising story of Santa Claus

 

Nat Read is a world authority on Santa Claus. He’s been a department store Santa, has been to the North Pole and was dean of U.S.C. – the University of Santa Claus while an executive with Sears.

 

Nat has been published in dozens of local and national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Boy’s Life, Leatherneck, and many, many others.

 

Nat draws on a checkered career in his writing.  He made his living as a cab driver in Chicago, made change for slot machines in a casino in Nevada, was a cartoonist, advertising copywriter and a public relations executive.  He retired as a Captain in the Navy (ours), was a reserve street cop with LAPD working vice in Hollywood and gang suppression in South Los Angeles, and has appeared as a stand-up comic in the Ice House, Improv and Comedy Store.

 

Speaker Introduction

 

Nat Read spoke to us a few months ago about his book about early Los Angeles history. As a Scholar at the Huntington Library, Nat pursues a number of other research interests.  He is a world authority on Santa Claus. He was once Dean of U. S. C., the University of Santa Claus, where he prepared the men hired by Sears to play the role. He has published dozens of newspaper and magazine articles about Old Saint Nick and has sat on the throne at a retail store playing the role of Santa. In his search for Santa he become one of fewer than a hundred people to stand at both poles of the earth. Today Nat will tell the Wilshire Rotary Club why everything we think we know about Santa Claus history is wrong.

Join Wilshire Rotary on Wednesday, December 4th, as Nat discusses the Real Story of Santa Claus.

Cost is $35 at the door - Parking is included.