Second generation
Sons Edwin Janss Sr. and Harold Janss developed Van Nuys and Owensmouth, now called Canoga Park.
In 1911 Harold Janss married Arthur Letts's daughter Gladys. In 1923 after Arthur Letts, Sr., died, they took control of the 3300 acre John Reid Wolfskill[8] ranch on Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres. In a deal to get the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1925 Janss Investment Company sold 375 acre to the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Venice and Beverly Hills at the bargain price of $1.2 million — about a quarter of its value. The cities, whose voters had passed bond issues to pay for the site, turned around and donated it to the state.[9] The UCLA campus's "Janss Steps" are named for the two brothers. While the UCLA campus was being built, Janss Investment Company went to work developing the Westwood Village commercial area and surrounding residential neighborhoods.[10][11][12] Due to racial covenants included in the deeds of the buildings in Westwood Village, people of color were barred from patronizing businesses in the area.[13]
After Janss sold the land to help build the UCLA campus, many organizations affiliated with university began to form. Many of these groups were fraternities and sororities whose members were mostly white men and women. The land for the university had been sold, but the land surrounding it still belonged to Janss. They sold the land along Hilgard Ave. to twenty one European American groups for the prices between $7,500 and $9,500, whereas the usual asking price was between $8,000 and $12,000.
In 1938 an Asian American sorority, Chi Alpha Delta, wanted to purchase the UCLA Religious Conference building with the hopes of setting up a home for its members and students near campus. The university appeared to be wanting to sell the building for this purpose, but while some of Janss was willing to sell, one was unwilling to sell to "Orientals".[14][15]
The Janss Brothers' headquarters in Westwood Village, the Janss Investment Company Building or Janss Dome, was opened in 1929. The Dome stands today as one of the iconic buildings of Westwood Village. The firm's Janss Investment Co. "stamps" appear on sidewalks in many Westside residential neighborhoods.
