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Swig (Benjamin Harrison) papers
BANC MSS 2010/874
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: Benjamin Harrison Swig papers
Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 2010/874
Physical Description:
42 linear feet
(3 cartons, 19 flat boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1912-1998
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft
Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For
current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online
catalog.
Language of Material:
English .
Benjamin Harrison Swig was a real estate entrepreneur and a philanthropist. Born in
Massachusetts, he became a bank treasurer when he was nineteen years old. In the 1920s, he
went into real estate. Following the Great Depression, he specialized in making business
arrangements for department stores. By the 1940s, Swig and his partner, J.D. Weiler, were
among the biggest real estate operators in the U.S. In 1946, Swig settled in San Francisco
and established himself as one of the city's leading businessmen. He invested in the city's
premier hotels, including the Fairmont, and in high-rise developments downtown. Hundreds of
organizations benefited from his generosity. He gave millions of dollars to Jewish,
Catholic, and secular colleges and universities, hospitals, and social service agencies; to
the U.S. military; and to numerous city funds for youth groups, including the Columbia Park
Boys' Club and to Boys' Town in Italy. He was recognized by the pope for his contributions
to Catholic causes. He also contributed to Israeli institutions and was active in Democratic
Party campaigns; was a civilian aide to the secretary of the Sixth U.S. Army, and a
president of the San Francisco Chapter of the U.S. Army Association.
The collection contains many awards; honorary degrees; certificates given to Swig. Also
includes some correspondence with family, friends, famous people including a few letters
with close friends Earl Warren and Edmund G. "Pat" Brown; photographs of Swig at events; and
photocopies of newspaper clippings.
Collection is open for research.
No future additions are expected.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Benjamin Harrison Swig papers were transferred to The Bancroft Library from the Judah
L. Magnes Museum in 2010.
Processed by Presley Hubschmitt in 2024 with funding from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert
Foundation.
Existence and Location of Copies
There are no alternative forms of this collection.
[Identification of item], Benjamin Harrison Swig papers, BANC MSS 2010/874,The Magnes
Collection of Jewish Art and Life, The Bancroft Library, University of California,
Berkeley.
Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17,
U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of
University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and
publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of
the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited
without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with
the user. For additional information about the University of California, Berkeley Library's
permissions policy please see: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/permissions-policies
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Jewish businesspeople--California--San Francisco
Jewish philanthropists.
Correspondence.
Photographs.
Jews -- California -- San Francisco.
Jews -- California -- San Francisco -- Social life and
customs
Swig, Benjamin Harrison, 1893-1980
Fairmont Hotel
(San Francisco, Calif.)
Brown, Edmund G. (Edmund Gerald), 1905-1996