Guide to the Claire Giannini Hoffman Papers, 1887-1997
Processed by Marianne Clatin
The Bancroft Library
© 2003
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
bancref@library.berkeley.edu
Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: Claire Giannini Hoffman papers
Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 98/178 c
Physical Description:
14 linear feet
(7 cartons, 2 boxes, 5 oversize boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Date (inclusive): 1887-1999
Abstract: The Claire Giannini Hoffman Papers (1887-1997) consist of correspondence; biographical materials, including writings related
to economic issues, clippings about Hoffman, the Bank of America, and her father, Amadeo Peter Giannini; and a small amount
of family papers.
Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog
Language of Material:
English
.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Provenance
The Claire Giannini Hoffman Papers were given to The Bancroft Library in April and June 1998 at the bequest of the Claire
G. Hoffman estate. Additions were received from the Estate in 2014. In 2018, additions were received from an anonymous donor.
Biographical Information
Claire Evelyn Giannini was born on December 30, 1904 to Amadeo Peter Giannini (died 1949) and Clorinda Agnes Cuneo (also called
Clara Cuneo ; died 1941) in San Mateo, California. She was educated at San Mateo Grammar School, Rosemary Hall in Greenwich,
Connecticut, Ransom School in Piedmont, California, Mills College in Oakland, California; she also attended business school
in Beverly Hills, California. Hoffman's father, A.P. Giannini was the founder of the Bank of Italy, later renamed Bank of
America, and of the Banca d'America e d'Italia. Her brother, L. M. Giannini, was president of the Bank of America from 1936
to his death in 1952. Her husband, Clifford P. Hoffman, was an investment banker. He died in 1954. Since an early age, Claire
Giannini Hoffman accompanied her father on business trips nationwide and abroad. She was appointed on June 14, 1949 to a seat
on the Board of Directors of the Bank of America left vacant by the death of her father, from which she resigned in 1985.
Upon the death of her brother in 1952, she became a member of the General Executive Committee of the Bank of America. In 1957,
she was elected a Director of the Banca d'America e d'Italia. She was also Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bank
of America-Giannini Foundation, established in 1945. Claire Giannini Hoffman was active in many national and international
banking organizations, where she often was the only woman member. She was a United States delegate to the Atlantic Congress
held in London in 1959. In 1960, she was appointed as a member to the Council of Consultants on the U.S. Small Business Administration.
In 1973, she was the first woman to be asked to be a governor of the Federal Reserve Bank. Claire Giannini Hoffman was a committed
supporter of women pursuing careers and strove to secure equal opportunities for women in business. She was committed to continuing
her father's legacy until her death in 1997 at her childhood home in San Mateo.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Claire Giannini Hoffman Papers, BANC MSS 98/178 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California,
Berkeley.
Funding
Funding for processing provided by the Estate of Claire Giannini Hoffman.
Related Collections
Giannini Hoffman pictorial collection, BANC PIC 1998.075
Scope and Content of Collection
The Claire Giannini Hoffman Papers (1887-1997) consist of correspondence; biographical materials, including writings related
to economic issues, clippings about Hoffman, the Bank of America, and her father, Amadeo Peter Giannini ; and a small amount
of family papers. Most of the correspondence in this collection is from Hoffman's friends and colleagues, rather than her
family. The majority of the correspondence concerns Hoffman's social activities and her father A.P. Giannini. There is a small
amount of correspondence that relates to Hoffman's business life, however, very few letters document her activities as bank
director. No banking papers are held in this collection. Except for a speech about her father, Hoffman's writings are about
the economic issues and policies of the 1970's. The collection contains a small amount of writings about Hoffman, such as
interviews with her regarding her involvement in Bank of America, and those related to her experiences with her father. The
biographical materials are comprised mostly of newspaper and magazine clippings dating from the 1960s-1970s. They are further
subdivided into clippings about Hoffman, clippings about Bank of America, and materials regarding legislation. Clippings about
Hoffman detail her social activities and opinions about economics and about her father's work. Clippings about the Bank of
America are concerned particularly with books published about Bank of America, including Roller Coaster by Moira Johnston,
and Breaking the Bank: The Decline of BankAmerica , by Gary Hector, and Hoffman's opinions on issues related to Bank of America
and her father. These clippings illustrate Hoffman's opinions on bank policy and her committed interest in preserving her
father's legacy. The small amount of legislation and related clippings are concerned with the control and regulation of bank
holding companies and the gold reserve requirement. The Giannini family papers include materials related to A.P. Giannini
and Hoffman's mother, Clorinda Agnes Cuneo Giannini, and miscellaneous materials about Hoffman's husband, Clifford P. Hoffman,
and her niece, Anne Giannini. The materials concerning A.P. Giannini are comprised mostly of newspaper and magazine clippings
about him, with very few letters or personal biographical materials. The small amount of materials about Clorinda Agnes Giannini
(also called Clara Cuneo) consist of a book of school work, an autograph book, and a memoriam of her death. Hoffman's papers
reflect her opinions about the development of the Bank of America from the 1950's, when she assumed the position of director,
to her resignation in 1985. They illustrate Hoffman's consistent efforts to maintain her father's standards in both her personal
and professional life and her devotion to preserving his legacy of equality and fairness in banking.
Separated Material
Printed materials have been transferred to the Book Collection of The Bancroft Library.
Photographs have been transferred to Pictorial Collections of The Bancroft Library.
Videotapes/sound recordings have been transferred to the Microforms Collection of The Bancroft Library.
Medals have been transferred to the Objects Collection of The Bancroft Library.
Publication Rights
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
Italian Americans -- California
Bankers -- United States
Bankers -- California
Bankers -- California -- San Francisco
Banks and banking -- United States -- History
Banks and banking -- California -- History
Hoffman, Claire Giannini, 1904-1997
Giannini, Amadeo Peter., 1870-1949
Giannini family.
Bank of America
Bank of Italy, San Francisco.
Banca d'Italia.
Correspondence
1937-1997
Physical Description: Container 1, folders 1-28
Arrangement
Divided into incoming and outgoing correspondence.
Scope and Contents
Includes correspondence with friends and colleagues.
Incoming correspondence
1937-1997
Physical Description: Container 1, folders 1-27
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by name of writer or company. Each folder is then arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
Though one incoming letter is dated 1927 and some date from the 1980's, most letters date between 1949 and the 1970's, or
1994-1997. There is a small amount of correspondence from Presidents Nixon and Reagan. Some are copies of letters not directly
addressed to Hoffman.
carton 1, folder 27
Unidentified correspondence
n.d.
Outgoing correspondence
1954-1996
Physical Description: Container 1, folder 28
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
Includes fourteen letters, including some addressed to presidents Eisenhower and Reagan, and to the board of directors of
the Bank of America.
Biographical Materials
n.d.
Physical Description: Container 1, folders 29-39
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Writings
ca. 1970-1985
Physical Description: Container 1, folders 29-30
Arrangement
Divided into two subject folders: Writings by Hoffman and writings about Hoffman. Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
Includes the press release upon Hoffman's resignation from Bank of America, a speech about World Bank and International Monetary
Fund, and about her father, A. P. Giannini.
carton 1, folder 29
Writings by Hoffman
ca. 1970's-1980's
carton 1, folder 30
Writings about Hoffman
n.d.
About Claire Giannini Hoffman
n.d.
Physical Description: Container 1, folders 31-33, oversize box 1
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
Clippings about Claire Giannini Hoffman's position as a director of Bank of America and her social activities.
oversize_box 1
Scrapbook: Election to Board of Directors of Sears, Roebuck and Co.
1963
Scope and Contents
The scrapbook of clippings relate to Hoffman's election to the board of directors of Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1963. After this,
most of the clippings date 1963-1975 (and especially 1970-1971). None of the articles date from the eighties and only one
is dated 1991. Most of the articles are concerned with Hoffmans' business travel, her various awards and elections, her opinions
about economic issues, meetings and social events, and her father A.P. Giannini. Some articles are written in Spanish or Italian.
A small amount of U.S. Congress bills, clippings about bank holding companies and booklets about gold show Hoffman's interest
in economic legislation.
carton 1, folder 31-33
Clippings about Hoffman
n.d.
About Bank of America
1969-1990
Physical Description: Container 1, folders 34-35
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
Includes publicity booklets about Bank of America, and clippings regarding Bank of America issues as well as Claire Giannini's
disagreements with bank policy.
carton 1, folder 34
Clippings about Bank of America
1982-1990
carton 1, folder 35
Publicity Booklets
1969-1989
Legislation
1955-1973
Physical Description: Container 1, folders 36-37
Arrangement
Divided into Legislation and Clippings about Legislation. Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
Includes reprinted government legislation and clippings regarding specific legislation.
carton 1, folder 37
Clippings about legislation
1955-1973
Miscellaneous Biographical Materials
1904-1993
Physical Description: Container 1, folders 38-39
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
carton 1, folder 38-39
Miscellaneous biographical materials
1904-1993
Scope and Contents
Copy of birth certificate (1904), marriage license (1930); awards; pedigree of Hoffman's dog; minutes from the Sixteen Club
(1959-1969), booklet on the Francisca Club; inventory of jewelry and coins.
Family Papers
Physical Description: Container 2
Arrangement
The Family Papers are divided into three sub-series: A.P. Giannini, Clorinda "Clara" Cuneo, and miscellaneous family papers.
Scope and Contents
The materials about A.P. Giannini, Hoffman's father, consist mostly of clippings about Giannini; a small amount of correspondence;
and materials relating to A.P. Giannini commemorative programs and the A.P. Giannini stamp. The materials relating to Hoffman's
mother, Clorinda Agnes Cuneo Giannini (also called "Clara" Cuneo) include a book of school work completed as a student at
Notre Dame College; a book of autographs and texts written by friends; and a memoriam commemorating her death. There are some
miscellaneous materials relating to other family members such as Anne Giannini, granddaughter of A.P. Giannini, and Clifford
P. Hoffman, Claire Giannini Hoffman's husband.
A.P. Giannini
1916-1994
Physical Description: Container 2, folders 1-7
Arrangement
Each folder is divided according to subject, then arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
Includes clippings about A.P. Giannini; a small amount of correspondence; and materials relating to commemorative programs
and the A.P. Giannini postal stamp.
carton 2, folder 1
Correspondence
1916, n.d.
carton 2, folder 5
Miscellaneous biographical materials
1930-1949
carton 2, folder 6
A.P. Giannini commemorative program
1983
carton 2, folder 7
A.P. Giannini postage stamp
1973
Clorinda Agnes Cuneo Giannini (also called Clara Cuneo)
ca. 1895-1941
Physical Description: Container 2, folders 8-10
Arrangement
Divided by subject, then arranged chronologically.
carton 2, folder 8
School work by Clorinda Cuneo
ca. 1895
carton 2, folder 10
Memoriam for Clorinda A. Giannini
1941
Miscellaneous family papers
1916-1989
Physical Description: Container 2, folders 11
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
Materials relating to Anne Giannini and Clifford P. Hoffman.
carton 3
Personal correspondence
1975-1996
carton 3
St. Mary's College Board of Regents correspondence, reports, memorandums
1976-1996
carton 4
Junior Achievement
1976-1983
carton 4
Small Business Association
1982-1986
carton 4
National Foreign Policy conference
1973
carton 4
Political materials
approximately 1980-1999
carton 4
Ronald Reagan campaign
1976-1981
carton 5
Personal files (primarily organizations to which Giannini Hoffman belonged)
carton 6
Speeches and public speaking
1980-1989
carton 6
American Bankers Association conventions
1960-1971
carton 7
American Institute of Banking conventions
1961-1977
carton 7
Women's World Banking
1979-1980
carton 7
International Monetary Fund Building/World Bank
1970-1975
carton 7
Banking files (not Bank of America)
carton 7
Bank of America files
1970-1989
box 2
Bank of America files
1970-1989
box 1
Correspondence, Comptroller of the Currency
1938-1940
box 1
Bank exam report; A.P. Giannini correspondence, etc.
1938-1940
oversize_box 2
Bound book of letters, 50th Anniversary
1976-05-30
oversize_box 3
Amadeo P. Giannini United States Postage Stamp)
1973
oversize_box 3
Association of Bank Women manual of procedure
oversize_box 3
Fiat Social Welfare activities
oversize_box 4
Book presented to A.P. Giannini on occasion of opening of head office of Bank of Italy
2021-06
oversize_box 5
Memorials to Amadeo Peter Giannini
1949
oversize_folder 1B
Certificates and oversize photographs
approximately 1960-1985
