This edition of Legacy: Santa Clarita’s Living History, features Thomas L. Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Newhall Land and Farming Company. He was interviewed in 2002 about the development of the master-planned community of Valencia by Leon Worden, of the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society.

Lee was hired by Newhall Land in 1970 as an administrative assistant. He was named President and Chief Operating Officer in 1985, CEO in 1987 and Chairman in 1989. He retired in 2001.

Lee, 2000 SCV Man of the Year, was also active in many nonprofit organizations in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The master-planned community of Valencia, was initially planned in the mid-1960s by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. The first homes were built in 1967, with the initial phase, Old Orchard I. The plan included 5,000 acres of the 44,000-acre Newhall Ranch, and was designed to be a self-contained community with housing, shopping and amenities.

Newhall Land was acquired by Lennar Corp. on Jan. 27, 2004. The acquisition marked the end of Newhall Land’s 121 years as an independent company.

To view this video visit https://scvtv.com/2002/07/01/legacy-tom-lee-the-story-of-valencia/.

See Valencia history in pictures at https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/valencia.htm.

For more videos and interviews on Santa Clarita Valley history visit SCVTV.com.

For more information on SCV History visit scvnistory.com.