Paul RAMSEY says of his Grandmother RAMSEY, "Grandmother emigrated from Ireland, and when she landed in the U.S., they put a tag around her neck and sent her to Albia, Iowa, to live with some relatives. Those relatives were pharmacists and a state senator, therefore, the RAMSEY name was in good standing in the community."

Paul's father was a captain of a small ship in the Navy. The marriage didn't survive with Paul's father and mother divorcing when he was about five or six-years-old. At the time, in the 1920's, it was almost scandalous to be a divorced woman.

Paul's mother supported the family by seeking employment with Browncamp's Hardware Store in Des Moines, then, later with the Younker's Store. After school was out for the year, around the first of June, Paul came to Mount Ayr to spend the summer with his Aunt Jennie and Uncle George VANCE. His cousins, Helen (Mrs. Wayne ANDERSON) and Margaret (Mrs. Bernard DUFTY), were like sisters to Paul. This tradition of spending his summers with the VANCE family continued until Paul was around the age of 15 years.

For two years, during the Great Depression, Paul moved Mount Ayr where he attended school and resided with his grandparents, Clyde and Jessie (FULLERTON) LESAN. At the time, Clyde was a banker and sold real estate. Clyde, not wanting to close the bank when others were failing, often took money from his own pocket to cover withdrawals.

After the Depression, Paul and his mother moved back to Des Moines, residing in the Drake University area. After Paul's mother's remarriage, they resided in a more fashionable section of Des Moines.

Upon graduating from high school at the age of 17, Paul resumed his education at A.I.B. in Des Moines. He took an opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. where he was a runner between D.C. and New York City for the F.B.I. and attended classes part-time at George Washington University.

Relying upon his F.B.I. experience, Paul enlisted as a warrant officer with the naval intelligence during World War II. He went to California where he was with the signal corps and was trained at the university of California. Paul was sent to Camp Crowder, then was transferred to the 18th Engineers Battalion. Paul was with the 18th at Camp Blythe and in pontoon training when the war ended.

Paul enrolled at the University of Southern California, taking business courses and worked part-time for The Hollywood Citizen-News ad a circulation manager. He met Patrical BALL, a fellow student at USC and a native Californian. They married in 1949 and became the parents of twin sons in 1950.

Paul is considered to be one of the deans of Southern California real estate, successfully involved in the business for more than 50 years.

Ramsey-Shilling has acquired immense market knowledge with respect to office leasing over the years. This knowledge is buttressed by ongoing city research that the firm conducts which covers the areas of Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Hollywood, West Hollywood, North Hollywood, Universal City, Studio City, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, and the Santa Clarita Valley, California.

Paul RAMSEY and Lee SHILLING founded the Ramsey-Shilling Company in 1953 based upon an unwavering commitment to a few, very simple, core principles: superior market knowledge, the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and honesty in all dealings, community service, civic leadership and the notion that the client is the center of the universe.

The firm was a commercial success from the beginning, but perhaps, more importantly, Ramsey-Shilling soon emerged during Los Angeles' heady and dynamic growth years during the 50's, 60's and 70's as a model of what is possible when talented, hard-working, honest, dedicated professionals pursue a vision based on the belief that their own commercial success is inextricably tied to the success of the greater community. Ramsey-Shilling became synonymous with doing the right thing; in their personal lives, on behalf of their clients, and at the community and civic levels.

This legacy of professionalism, integrity and service remains the cornerstone of our Company today.

Today, Ramsey-Shilling is a strategically focused, highly successful boutique commercial real estate services firm with southern California offices in Toluca Lake, Valencia and Newport Beach with a presence felt as far away as Dubai and Vietnam.

Mr. RAMSEY obtained his undergraduate education at the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa and continued his post graduate studies at the University of Southern California School of Business. Prior to beginning his real estate career, Mr. RAMSEY served as a Sergeant in the United States Army in World War II, attended George Washington University in Washington D.C. while working as an agent/trainee for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and later was a Circulation Manager for the Hollywood Citizen-News while attending USC.

An active and highly regarded Los Angeles Real Estate Broker for over fifty years, Mr. RAMSEY is widely considered one of the deans of Southern California real estate. He has successfully completed several million square feet of retail, office and industrial property transactions in Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. He has also actively developed commercial retail and industrial properties since 1970 in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, and the state of Iowa. He currently controls a portfolio consisting of a broad range of property including office, retail, restaurants, private clubs, hotels and special purpose entertainment facilities including sound stage studios for film and television in Hollywood. Mr. RAMSEY currently serves as Chairman. He also is Chairman of the Ramsey-Shilling Commercial Real Estate Services based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He serves on the board of directors for the Iowa Barn Foundation and on the Farm Conservancy Committee. He was a founding director of the Bank of Hollywood. Mr. RAMSEY is the principal owner and President of the Newport Beach Yacht Club and the Toluca Lake Tennis Club of Hollywood which he founded in 1974, and was one of the original owners of the Iowa Barnstormers arena football team when Kurt WARNER played for them.

Mr. RAMSEY was a Founding Director of the Bank of Hollywood and maintains numerous civic and business affiliations including:

National, California, Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley Realty Boards
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
Newport Beach Yacht Club, principal owner and President
The Toluca Lake Tennis Club of Hollywood, principal and owner since 1974

Mr. RAMSEY is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of California, and resides in Newport Beach with his wife Patricia. They have twin sons. Patrick, an attorney and partner of the law firm of Paul Hastings Janofsky and Walker, lives with his wife, Elizabeth and sons, Kyle and Spencer, in Pacific Palisades, California. Michael "Paul" II, a prominent Los Angeles Architect, lives with his wife, Susan, and daughter Camille in Hollywood, California.

Market to Market, IPTV, October 22, 2004

Drawing on his memories of a bucolic childhood spent on an Iowa farm, Paul RAMSEY is sharing a slice of rural life with some urban youth. As a young boy, Paul spent his summers on his Aunt Jennie and Uncle George's farm nestled among the rolling hills of southern Iowa.

Paul RAMSEY of RAMSEY Farm Foundation, said "I was born in Des Moines many years ago and I spent my summers here from the time I was about five or six-years-old to probably twelve or fifteen. It was a great part of my life."

Today, RAMSEY lives in Newport Beach, California, where he has been a successful real estate developer for over 50 years. But, he's never forgotten his Iowa roots, especially those days in the 1930's when he worked and played on his relative's farm near Mount Ayr, Iowa.

"I really enjoyed the years I was here and I love this community. I don't know why I'm getting emotional. I can't help it," Paul explained. RAMSEY'S strong ties to his ancestral farm influenced him to establish the RAMSEY Farm Foundation. In 2001, he, along with members of the community, created the non-profit organization to rebuild the farm and the tiny town of Lesanville, which had disappeared from the map. Their efforts have led to a working 1930's farm and tourist attraction that includes a bed-and-breakfast. But more importantly, RAMSEY says the foundation is a way for him to share with others his fond experiences of farm life.

In September [2004], young men from the YMCA in Des Moines made a trip to the farm. While all have grown up in Iowa, a state synonymous with farm country, most of the boys never have set foot on rural ground. They spent the weekend riding horses, learning about farm life and enjoying old-fashioned farm meals. The foundation members want young people from cities across the country to visit RAMSEY Farm every year. They say the farm also will be open to local schools and organizations for educational day tours and activities. But, RAMSEY admits, it's especially exciting to see the reaction of those who never have been out of the city.

Along with a $100,000 grant from the state-appropriated Vision Iowa fund, RAMSEY has donated nearly $400,000 to the effort. And, all profits from crop and livestock sales and tour rentals on RAMSEY Farm will be donated to Mount Ayr Community Schools. To compliment the farm, he is working to revitalize the town square of Mount Ayr, with the same 1930's theme. He remembers the days of the "mom and pop" stores and Saturday night socials. He wants downtown Mount Ayr to reflect these bygone traditions.

Ask any resident about Paul RAMSEY and he or she will talk about how he has brought new pride and excitement to the community.

Former superintendent of Mount Ayr Community Schools, Philip BURMEISTER is currently president of the RAMSEY Farm Foundation, said, "Paul told me about this idea of recreating Lesanville and I was really intrigued with the idea. I sort of fell into his trap. I think he had it all planned." But, with his usual modesty, RAMSEY is quick to point out that many others deserve credit as well. He says the Mount Ayr community has embraced his vision and that numerous people have donated their money, time, and hard work to the cause.

"It's America like we knew it. Tom BROKAW says that we were the greatest generation. I don't know if that's true, but I think the younger generations need to know how it was like," Paul said.

SOURCES:
FETTY, Jack. Rings of Gold Pp. 104-111. Palindrome Pub. Co. Iowa. 2007.
www.ramsey-shilling.com
"Market to Market" IPTV, October 22, 2004

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2010

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, July 28, 2012, Pages 1 & 8

Imagine for a moment that you have led an extremely successful life, earning a fortune and a bit of fame and have been blessed with a good family and a multitude of friends.

Now imagine that the time hascome to retire and live out the rest of your life as you desire, free from the burden of work, your children grown and living their own lives. How would you choose to spend your retirement? Do you see yourself on the deck of a cruise ship, perhaps reminiscing about your glory days?

Paul RAMSEY, 91, a Des Moines native turned Hollywood real estate broker, found himself considering this very option, but decided that this prospect was "about as interesting as watching paint dry." Instead of spending his fortune on entertainment and unnecessary luxuries, RAMSEY got a philanthropic itch to put that money to use for the good of others in the place he had called home for six summers of his childhood -- Mount Ayr.

Though he has certainly made a name for himself now, RAMSEY was not born into privilege. His mother, Madge Adelia LESAN, was a farm girl and the first woman to attend Drake University. His father, Theodore RAMSEY, was a car salesman. His parents committed what was a social taboo at the time by getting a divorce when RAMSEY was nine, leaving RAMSEY to move in with his Grandmother LESAN in Mount Ayr.

It was no doubt difficult for such a young child to be uprooted from his home and moved away from his parents. The blow was softened however by the fact that RAMSEY had loving and supportive extended family members like his uncle Clyde LESAN, his aunt and uncle Jennie and George VANCE, and his Grandmother RAMSEY who stepped in to fill the gap left by his mother and father. They all owned farms around Mount Ayr and Lesanville, and RAMSEY visited them frequently, gaining experience and appreciation for farm life and the towns themselves. He grew to love Mount Ayr and considered it home.

The years flew by and RAMSEY'S dream of being a successful real estate businessman led him to pursue opportunities in Los Angeles, CA.

Listening to the things he got involved in, everything from working for the FBI, to serving in the Navy in World War II, to making friends with big-name stars such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe and Walt and Roy Disney, it seems there were many highlights in RAMSEY'S life.

Even with all this excitement going on however, Mount Ayr was never far from his mind.

"I used to praise Mount Ayr until everyone was probably sick of hearing it," RAMSEY recalled.

RAMSEY made a name and fortune for himself when he and his friend Lee SHILLING started a real estate business out of RAMSEY'S car in 1953 in Los Angeles. After making their first $24,950 deal with an A-level movie director in Hollywood, the RAMSEY-SHILLING company was [Page 8, Ramsey loves promoting Mount Ayr] able to move into the garage, then into the home, and finally to their first office.

Though it took them a little time to get going, their skill and dedication to a number of honorable core values led them to become one of the largest and most successful real estate companies in Los Angeles, and their integrity has earned the man outstanding reputation for doing what's right.

He married Patricia PAUL, and the two of them had twin sons, Patrick and Paul II. The four of them lived in Newport Beach, CA while RAMSEY'S company grew.

Success in the real estate business was a gateway to other successful ventures, such as owning restaurants, yacht clubs, hotels and more. By this time RAMSEY had amassed a significant fortune and was able to retire.

That is where Mount Ayr reentered the picture.

RAMSEY wanted to return to his roots and revisit the town that had always occupied such a fond place in his heart. But when he returned, it was not quite the way that he remembered it.

Its people had maintained their warmhearted charm and a few of the long-standing businesses that he remembered were still in operation, but some of the town square had fallen into disrepair and many of the establishments that he remembered from his childhood were gone.

Lesanville, which held similarly affectionate memories for him, had gone from a prosperous railroad community to a ghost town.

RAMSEY saw it as an opportunity to give back to a community that had done so much for him when he was growing up. He began to do what RAMSEY does best: dream and make deals.

His first project in Ringgold county was to restore his aunt and uncle Jennie and George VANCE's farm. RAMSEY had visions of re-building it to depict rural life from the late 1800s to the mid-1950s and making it into a historical tourist attraction to introduce children and other folks who have grown up inurban areas to old-time farm life.

In 2001, he purchased the 180 acres of land and commissioned Amish carpenters to build the barn. But RAMSEY did not stop with replicating the barn. He went onto rebuild Lesanville altogether, complete with a church, cemetery, school, post office and other buildings.

RAMSEY was confident from the beginning that the project would be a success.

"I'm an optimist," he said. "I expect all [of my business ventures] to be successful,"

he said.

His optimism was not misplaced; RAMSEY Farm has never had trouble finding enough guests to reserve its facilities for their events, including some from Hollywood.

RAMSEY'S efforts to revitalize Mount Ayr didn't end with RAMSEY Farm. He then began to see other opportunities for improvement around town.

RAMSEY recalled taking his wife Patricia to stay at the old Mount Ayr Motel. "I left her there for about 15 minutes to run an errand," RAMSEY recalls. "By the time I got back, she was ready to get back in the car because the place smelled so bad."

As someone who was always encouraging his friends in California to come and stay in Mount Ayr, it only seemed logical that he should make sure there was a nice place to stay when they got here. He therefore decided to purchase the land that now houses the current Mount Ayr Inn and rally other investors to get the project unde-way.

Some of the other projects RAMSEY has been involved in around Mount Ayr have included the Mount Ayr Chamber of Commerce building, Aunt Jennie's Attic, the Princess Theater and RAMSEY Supper Club, among others.

As RAMSEY purchased property and planted businesses and the people of the community have also donated their time and talents to realizing his visions, the shine that RAMSEY remembered from his younger years has been returning to Mount Ayr.

He wants to see the town continue to expand.

"I've always had a bit of an inferiority complex about Mount Ayr, and I wanted to put it on the map," RAMSEY explained. "I don't want to see it get too big though; that would spoil it."

His goal is to rejuvenate the town so that non-locals can't help but notice its charm and be drawn to it, but he wants it to retain its small-town values and friendliness. Part of his plan for achieving this goal is to preserve the turn of the century style buildings around the square. He believes that this is key to the aesthetic appeal of the town and will help draw more visitors and hopefully new citizens.

"There are so many people who want to go back to the traditions of the good old days," RAMSEY observed. "Everyone longs for a hometown, and I want [those who don't have one] to be able to adopt Mount Ayr as their home town."

RAMSEY has a few other projects in the works right now, including Heartland Energy Solutions. Originally, there had been plans for this wind turbine plant to be built elsewhere in Iowa, but RAMSEY was able to persuade the company to relocate to Mount Ayr instead. He names this as the most difficult endeavor he's taken on so far, and notices that some are becoming discouraged by the slow progress.

"Rome wasn't built in a day," RAMSEY said. "We've had some people from the Netherlands and Germany, experts in wind energy, visit and they ask us what kind of resources and and how many people we have to work with. They were very impressed by how much progress has been made in such a short time."

Some of RAMSEY'S other visions are still under wraps at this time, but he was able to disclose that there were plans in the works to increase educational opportunities in Mount Ayr in affiliation with Graceland University.

After hearing about the amazing positive difference that this one man has been able to put in motion, it is easy for the sparks of his enthusiasm to catch flame in others.

Unfortunately not everyone has the sort of money and resources available to them that RAMSEY does.

For those who want to help improve their community, RAMSEY advises: "You have to be a dreamer, have an education, and a good work ethic. Then all you have to do is live your dreams."

Last year, RAMSEY'S wife fell ill and it became clear that she would need around the clock care for the rest of her life. After being unimpressed with the level of care provided by hospitals and nursing facilities in Newport Beach, CA, RAMSEY brought her back to his beloved Mount Ayr where he knew that she would be well cared for.

"[The staff at Ringgold County Hospital and Clearview Nursing Home] treat her as if she were their own aunt or grandmother," RAMSEY said. "When people thank me for what I've done for Mount Ayr, I tell them that Mount Ayr has done a hundred times more for me."

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2012