On November 17, 1964, the Los Angeles Times reported on a press conference held the day before by Stamp Out Smog (SOS). At the Ambassador Hotel, SOS representative celebrated an “Unhappy Birthday” for smog, commemorating smog’s 21st anniversary (technically, smog’s birthday is July 26, 1943). The Los Angeles Times reported, “Undaunted by the fact that the clear weather did not help her dramatize the dangers of smog, an SOS spokesperson told press conference, “Smog may win and we may lose the battle for clean air unless action is taken immediately.” The book “Smogtown: The Lung-Burning History of Pollution in Los Angeles” described the group SOS as a “gaggle of socialites with gumption in their pricey heels,” who “could run a mean organization.” Photo comes from the Los Angeles Times photographic archive, UCLA Library.
