Eiler Larson, aka the Laguna Beach greeter, was well known for waving to and welcoming motorists as they drove on Pacific Coast Highway into Laguna Beach from the 1940s through the 1960s. A statue of Mr. Larson now stands in front of the Greeter’s Corner Restaurant in his honor, and another statue is in front of the Pottery Shack. Both are on PCH in Laguna.  Below is a photo of Mr. Larson attending the UCI Site Dedication ceremony on June 20, 1964. Larsen lived in a room at the Laguna Hotel, and made his living as a gardener. He died at age 84 in a Capistrano Beach nursing home in 1975.

AS-061.  University Communications Photographs. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.