Richard Mendelson, the grandson of Orange County Jewish pioneers Max and Clara Mendelson, was born in San Juan Capistrano on November 4, 1910, in the hotel that his grandparents built. In this school photo taken when he was seven, he is the smiling boy fifth from the left in the second row from the top. He was named the City Patriarch in 1995 because of his vast knowledge of the city’s early years, and he donated many items to the city’s historical society, including a large collection of family photos dating back as far as 1876 and the original survey chain that Max used when he purchased his plot of land in 1874. Richard passed away in 2002 at 92 years of age.