A FEW WEEKS AGO, one of downtown San Jose’s most visible developers, Jim Fox, sadly passed away. It was a stunner to say the least, as local denizens will no longer see the guy walking around with his trademark cigar. He was a fixture. Fox was one of the characters who helped make the Hotel De Anza renovation happen 20 years ago.
An opulent art deco property when it opened in 1931, the San Jose hotel boasts quite a star-studded history. By the time the early ’80s had rolled around, however, the building had long since deteriorated into a boarded-up flophouse and a halfway-condemned eyesore. Many people, including some high-profile figures, wanted it torn down forever. But wiser heads prevailed and now it remains a shining star once again.
The Hotel De Anza is the stuff of legend, and quite a few eyebrow-raising historical tidbits can be found in an unpublished history included in some of the hotel employees’ handbooks. Originally penned by former Mercury News reporter John Lindblom when the hotel reopened in 1990, the eight-page document contains lurid yarns about celebrities who stayed at the De Anza, plus numerous passages highlighting the role the prestigious property played in San Jose culture throughout the decades.
For example: Cab Calloway was the first African American ever to stay at the property. Eleanor Roosevelt was a big tipper. Heavyweight champs Jack Dempsey and Max Baer were also heavyweights at the hotel bar, El Capitan, whenever they were in town. A young Mickey Rooney once attempted to get friendly with “a load of screaming schoolgirls” by commandeering the elevator and jamming it between two floors, resulting in the elevator operator nearly losing his job.
And this: Fifty years ago, El Capitan was the unofficial home of the Mercury News editorial staff, since their building at the time was located across the street. In the document, Lindblom quotes another Merc scribe, Betty Barnacle, recalling what it was like: “If the city editor was looking for one of his assistants, he’d start yelling, then send the copy boy over to the bar. Usually, he’d find the assistant there. That bar was always full of people.” Apparently, those were the days before alternative weeklies and before happy hours at roach-infested rock & roll bars down the block.
The Hotel De Anza was also the home of radio stations KEEN and KBAY, both of whom broadcast from the hotel decades ago. KEEN actually began its entire operation at the hotel in 1947, with Hollywood star Red Skelton making a special appearance for the kickoff ceremonies.
But by the end of the ’60s, unfortunately, the hotel had declined right along with downtown in general, due to the mass exodus of retail to the suburbs that took place across America. By then, the hotel was essentially a haven for unsavory types. The Mercury News eventually left downtown for north San Jose, and both the radio stations bailed as well. The golden days were over.
That is, until Jim Fox—along with Barry Swenson, the RDA and Rodrigues & Associates Architects—brought the faded lady back to life in 1990. The De Anza will now live on forever. This Saturday, in particular, the third annual Swingin’ With Sinatra bash erupts again. A live band as well as a few DJs will feature Rat Pack–era stuff.
Over the years, the San Jose Downtown Association issued Jim Fox its annual Golden Nail Award a couple of times, for his dedicated work in helping renovate several other major downtown buildings besides the De Anza. He has left a staggering legacy.
Swingin’ With Sinatra organizer Andrew Pejack works as a security guard at the De Anza and compares the passing of Jim Fox to a ship’s crew losing its captain in a sudden unexpected demise. “We’re a bit unnerved about Jim’s death,” he laments. “It reminds me of when Capt. Cook was killed by Hawaiians in 1779. His crew was almost maddened by the loss.”
