BIOGRAPHY OF KINGSLEY BURNS NIVEN

Kiñgsley Burns Niven was born August 24, 1891 in St. Louis

Mo. He was named after Charles Kingsley, the author of The

Water Bab ies, a book his parents were reading to each other

at that time. His middle name, Burns, was given him because

ka.ith ol his pTfrrrrfii vrrft related to the mother of Robert Burns,

the famous and much loved Scottish poet.

He was dedicated to his family. First to his childhood

family which moved from the U.S. to Mexico when he was 8 years old;

this includedhis father who was an outstanding minerologist

and arqueologist, his name appearing in an encyclopedia in

the 1920s — originally f'olrm Glasgow, Scotland; his mother, Nellie

Purcell Niven from St. Louis, his grandmother Emma Sumner

Purcell--originally from Nottingham, England, his brothers:

Willie, Norman, Harold, Francis, Malcolm and Robert and his sister,

Elna.

Because of Francis1 health, the family moved to Cuernavaca

for several years. He attended a parochial school there that

was run by the French-Catholic Marist brothers. At 16, he

helped provide for the family by guiding tourists on horseback

throughout the town to arqueological ruins and historical places

like the Palace of Cortez. He also helped in his father's

curio shop.

When the family moved to Mexico City, he worked in the

American, School as a clerk. After several interruptions

/

brought on by the invasion of American soldiers in Veracruz,

he was appointed to run the school, and, subsequently graduated

in a class of six students--signing his own diploma.

He was always grateful to the YMCA for providing an in­

expensive place for sports and recreation during his youth.

After trying several jobs, he determined that his skills--,

both in mathematics and the arts, plus his enjoyment of the

out of doors would best be used in the profession of archi­

tecture. With this in mind, he earned enough money to enter

the Dept. of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin

in 19 15 as a freshman.

T.n 1917 he registered for the draft and was given a

commiTss ionto the - Army ireavy artillery. He also taught in The

School of Military Aeronautics in Fort Monroe, Va. for a short

time. The war was over before he was called and was discharged

December 13, 19 18.

He completed his Architecture degree at the University of

Texas on Aug. 31, 1921 and although he did not follow in that

poo-it ion, it enriched his life greatly.

In 1922 he joined the Texaco Co. in Mexico as a salesman

and was so successful that he was promoted to the position of

General Manager for the entire country of Mexico which he

retained for 34 years until his retirement in 1956.

On August 21, 1929, he married Hilda Alice Brooks here

in the Little Church of the Flowers, Forest Lawn. They met when

She traveled from Los Angeles, where she was teaching school,

to visit her sister Ila who was living in Mexico City. She

was his companion and dear wife for more than 58 years. They

had a daughter Kathleen Elise and a son Kingsley James, both

born in Los Angeles. They resided in Mexico City until 1958.

Kingsley had resided in Mexico a total of 58 years. Upon his

retirement, he moved with his family to Los Angeles where

he lived for 30 years until his death.

He was a Mason and a Shriner for in any years. In Mexico

City he was a member of the White Friars, the American Legion,

the. Sales Executive Club and the University Club. He was made

a Life Member of the American Club in 1957. In Los Angeles he

was a member of the Breakfast Club from 1961 to 1987.

He was baptized an Episcopalian, joined the Methodist

Church when he married Hilda, attended the Union Church in

Mexico City with the family and later joined the Hollywood

Beverly Christian Church-

Kingsley said his grandmother is the person he was told

he took after the most--independent in spirit and diligent

in work--a level-headed businesswoman.

He enjoyed the opera--"La Boheme"andnAidan were some of his

favorites; ope re11as--"Showboat" especially; musical comedies

and films. Photography was a favorite hobby and good literature,

was very important to him. He was constantly reading Shakespeare

and had a set of small volumes of his work with him often.

He read all or at least most of Dickens of whom he was very fond.

His favorite exercise was walking, but he also enjoyed

golf and bowlings And tie very much enjoyed gardening after

his retirement and move to the U.S.

He had a great respect for education and encouraged his

children, nieces, nephews and grandchild to take full advantage of it

LV_

to help find the best direction and enrichment for their lives.

Kingsley was "right down the middle," according to his

brother Francii ,"no drinking, no smoking anrv lot.? of exercise...11;

"One of the be s t 1 "accord ing to, his brother Robert and "He was

one of the brothers I looked up to the most--"his brother

Malcolm says. His sister Elna who passed away quite a few years

ago was in his thoughts in the last years as were all members

of h i s family. 4\ é ^ ¿ o y od h&mcj Surr^ui^ded by hf 5 ocnd H i Ida's extended fa*h dy -

Nobble r ̂ decent , loyal, mo-derate, brderly--a. man of integrity.

He had a Scots-English exterior and an Irish heart.

"Always there when we needed him, a wonderful role model,

a dear Daddy"say Kathleen and Jimmie.

* We were so fortunate to have him with us for a long full

life. He will be missed, but his memory will be with us always.

He died January 28, 1988.