Swig (Benjamin Harrison) papers, 1912-1998

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Summary

Title:
Benjamin Harrison Swig papers
Dates:
1912-1998
Extent:
42 linear feet (3 cartons, 19 flat boxes)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[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.

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Acquisition information:
The Benjamin Harrison Swig papers were transferred to The Bancroft Library from the Judah L. Magnes Museum in 2010.
Processing information:

Processed by Presley Hubschmitt in 2024 with funding from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation.

Accruals:

No future additions are expected.

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.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Presley Hubschmitt
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-05 23:34:29 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

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

Preferred citation:

[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.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
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