Pacific-Union Club
Encyclopedia
The Pacific-Union Club is a private social club
located at 1000 California Street
in San Francisco, California
, at the top of Nob Hill. It was founded in 1889 as a merger of two earlier clubs: the Pacific Club (founded 1852) and the Union Club (founded 1854).
The clubhouse was built as the home for the silver magnate James Clair Flood. The former Flood Mansion
is located in the Nob Hill neighborhood. It was designed by Willis Polk
. It is considered the first brownstone
constructed west of the Mississippi River. Along with the Fairmont Hotel
across the street, these were the only structures in the area to survive the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906
.
This club figured prominently in the history of the west coast of the United States. Many prominent citizens have been active among its membership. To this day, the club's membership remains all male per its charter
.
Gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
located at 1000 California Street
California Street (San Francisco)
California Street is a major thoroughfare in San Francisco, California. Fifty-four blocks of California Street, from Van Ness Avenue westward to 32nd Avenue, comprised the last major leg of the final 1928 alignment of the Lincoln Highway, the first road across America, leading out to the highway's...
in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, at the top of Nob Hill. It was founded in 1889 as a merger of two earlier clubs: the Pacific Club (founded 1852) and the Union Club (founded 1854).
The clubhouse was built as the home for the silver magnate James Clair Flood. The former Flood Mansion
James C. Flood Mansion
James C. Flood Mansion, also known as Pacific-Union Club, in San Francisco, California, USA, was a townhouse for James C. Flood, a 19th century silver-baron. It was the first brownstone building built west of the Mississippi River. With The Fairmont Hotel, the only buildings on Nob Hill to...
is located in the Nob Hill neighborhood. It was designed by Willis Polk
Willis Polk
Willis Jefferson Polk was an American architect best known for his work in San Francisco, California.-Life:He was born in Jacksonville, Illinois and was related to United States President James Polk....
. It is considered the first brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
constructed west of the Mississippi River. Along with the Fairmont Hotel
The Fairmont San Francisco
The Fairmont San Francisco is a luxury hotel at 950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill in San Francisco, California. The hotel was named after mining magnate and U.S. Senator James Graham Fair , by his daughters Theresa Fair Oelrichs and Virginia Fair Vanderbilt who built the hotel in his honor. The hotel...
across the street, these were the only structures in the area to survive the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
.
This club figured prominently in the history of the west coast of the United States. Many prominent citizens have been active among its membership. To this day, the club's membership remains all male per its charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
.
List of club presidents
With Dates of their Election.- Richard P. Hammond 1889
- Thomas C. Van Ness 1889-1891
- Russell J. Wilson 1891-1892
- Jared L. Rathbone 1892
- Charles PageCharles PageCharles Page was an important philanthropist in the early history of Oklahoma and Tulsa. His enduring act was the creation of the Sand Springs Home for orphans and widows and otherwise unwanted and unloved children...
1892-1893 - Henry T. Scott 1893-1895
- Joseph B. Crockett 1895-1896
- Edward W. Hopkins 1896-1897
- A. Chesebrough 1897-1898
- George Whittell 1898
- Chauncey R. Winslow 1898-1899
- Horace G. Platt 1899-1900
- James W. Byrne 1900-1902
- W. Mayo Newhall 1902-1903
- James W. Byrne 1903-1905
- Wakefield Baker 1905-1906
- Edgar J. De Pue 1906-1908
- William Bowers Bourn IIWilliam Bowers Bourn IIWilliam Bowers Bourn II was an American entrepreneur and builder of Filoli the country estate in San Mateo County, California.-Biography:...
1908-1911 - Archibald C. Kains 1909
- Albert H. Payson 1911-1912
- George A. Pope 1912-1913
- William H. CrockerWilliam H. Crocker-Biography:He was born in 1861 in Sacramento, California.He attended Phillips Academy, Andover and Yale University, where he was a brother of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity...
1913-1914 - Charles K. McIntosh 1914-1915
- Charles P. Eells 1915-1916
- Frederick S. Moody 1916-1917
- Frederick S. Moody 1917-1918
- William SprouleWilliam SprouleWilliam Sproule was president of the Wells Fargo Express Company and later the Southern Pacific Railroad.-References:...
1918-1919 - Frank D. Madison 1919-1920
- Frank D. Madison 1920-1921
- Kenneth R. Kingsbury 1921-1922
Prominent Members
- Caspar WeinbergerCaspar WeinbergerCaspar Willard "Cap" Weinberger , was an American politician, vice president and general counsel of Bechtel Corporation, and Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from January 21, 1981, until November 23, 1987, making him the third longest-serving defense secretary to date, after...
, Secretary of Defense - John BarnesonJohn BarnesonJohn Barneson was one of the most important figures in commerce and development on the Pacific Coast of California. He was responsible for the first oil pipeline in the State of California and was the Founder of General Petroleum which he later sold to Standard Oil of New York...
, Founder General Petroleum, General Pipe Line Company - R.A.F. Penrose, Jr., Prominent Geologist
- Samuel F. B. MorseSamuel F. B. MorseSamuel Finley Breese Morse was an American contributor to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs, co-inventor of the Morse code, and an accomplished painter.-Birth and education:...
- Robert McNamaraRobert McNamaraRobert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
, Secretary of Defense - Randolph Apperson HearstRandolph Apperson HearstRandolph Apperson Hearst was the fourth and last surviving son of William Randolph Hearst. His twin brother, David, died in 1986. He was the father of Patty Hearst.-Biography:...
- Tirey L. FordTirey L. FordTirey Lafayette Ford was a successful San Francisco attorney, and Attorney-General of California .-Early life:...
, California Attorney General - William Randolph Hearst, Jr.William Randolph Hearst, Jr.William Randolph Hearst, Jr. was the second son of the publisher William Randolph Hearst. He became editor-in-chief of Hearst Newspapers after the death of his father in 1951. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his interview with Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, and associated commentaries in...
- William Randolph Hearst IIIWilliam Randolph Hearst IIIWilliam Randolph Hearst III became president of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation in early 2003. Son of William Randolph Hearst, Jr...
- William S. MailliardWilliam S. MailliardWilliam S. Mailliard was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California. He was born in Belvedere, California; attended elementary and secondary schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Taft School, Watertown, Connecticut, 1933–1935...
- William Henry Draper IIIWilliam Henry Draper IIIWilliam Henry Draper III is a prominent American venture capitalist.-Early life and career:Draper was born in White Plains, New York, the son of Katherine and banker and diplomat William Henry Draper, Jr. He attended Yale University with George H. W. Bush, graduated in 1950, the year after George...
, Businessman - Benjamin DillinghamBenjamin DillinghamBenjamin Franklin Dillingham was a businessman and industrialist during the late Kingdom of Hawaii era, throughout the period of the Republic of Hawaii, and during the first two decades of the Territory of Hawaii.-Life:...
- William Reddington HewlettWilliam Reddington HewlettWilliam Redington Hewlett was an engineer and the co-founder, with David Packard, of the Hewlett-Packard Company . He was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan where is father taught at the Univerisy of Michigan Medical School...
, Co-founder Hewlett Packard - David PackardDavid PackardDavid Packard was a co-founder of Hewlett-Packard , serving as president , CEO , and Chairman of the Board . He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1969–1971 during the Nixon administration...
, Co-founder Hewlett Packard and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense - Warren A. BechtelWarren A. BechtelWarren A. Bechtel was the founder of the Bechtel Corporation, one of the world's largest engineering and construction services firms.-Early life:...
, Founder BechtelBechtelBechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
Corporation - Stephen Bechtel, Jr.Stephen Bechtel, Jr.Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr. is, with his son Riley, co-owner of the Bechtel Corporation. He is the son of Stephen David Bechtel, Sr. and grandson of Warren A. Bechtel who founded the Bechtel Corporation.-Education:...
, Former CEO BechtelBechtelBechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
Corporation - Riley P. BechtelRiley P. BechtelRiley P. Bechtel is the chairman and CEO of the Bechtel Corporation. He is the great-grandson of Warren A. Bechtel, the founder of the company. His parents are Elizabeth Hogan and Stephen Bechtel, Jr., the former chairman and CEO of the company.-Biography:He received a bachelor's degree in...
, CEO BechtelBechtelBechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
Corporation - Walter A. Haas, Jr.Walter A. Haas, Jr.Walter A. Haas, Jr. was a president and CEO and chairman of Levi Strauss & Co, succeeding his father Walter A. Haas. He led the company in its growth from a regional manufacturer and wholesaler of work clothes to one of the world’s leading apparel companies...
, CEO (1958-1976) and chairman (1970-1981) of Levi Strauss & Co - Henry J. KaiserHenry J. KaiserHenry John Kaiser was an American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. He established the Kaiser Shipyard which built Liberty ships during World War II, after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel. Kaiser organized Kaiser Permanente health care...
, Engineer and founder of Kaiser Family FoundationKaiser Family FoundationThe Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation , or just Kaiser Family Foundation, is a U.S.-based non-profit, private operating foundation headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy... - Paul B. FayPaul B. FayPaul Burgess Fay, Jr. was the Acting United States Secretary of the Navy in November 1963, and a close confidant of President John F. Kennedy.-Background:...
, Former Undersecretary of the Navy and PT-109 crewmate of John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. - Benjamin BiagginiBenjamin BiagginiBenjamin Franklin Biaggini was president of the Southern Pacific Company, parent company of Southern Pacific Railroad, from 1964 to 1976 and chairman of the Board of Directors from 1976 to 1983.- References :...
, Former President and CEO, Southern Pacific RailroadSouthern Pacific RailroadThe Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad.... - Gordon DeanGordon DeanGordon Evans Dean was a Seattle-born American lawyer and prosecutor who served as chairman of the US Atomic Energy Commission from 1950 to 1953....
, Vice Chairman, Morgan StanleyMorgan StanleyMorgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000.... - William Lane BookerWilliam Lane BookerSir William Lane Booker, CMG, FRGS was a British diplomat stationed in the United States.Booker was the son of Thomas Booker and his wife Rhoda, and was baptised at St Botolph's Aldgate on 23 July 1824. Between 1844 and 1848, Booker travelled in Asia, Southern Europe, the United States and Canada...
, British diplomat. - Donald J. RussellDonald J. RussellDonald Joseph McKay Russell was an American railroad executive. He was president of Southern Pacific Railroad from 1952–1964 and then chairman from 1964–1972. Mr. Russell was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine 11 August 1961 and Forbes Magazine 1 November 1965.Mr...
, Former President, Southern Pacific RailroadSouthern Pacific RailroadThe Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad.... - Henry F. GradyHenry F. GradyHenry Francis Grady was an American diplomat. Born in San Francisco, California to John Henry and Ellen Genevieve Grady, he earned a PhD in Economics from Columbia University. On October 18, 1917 he married Lucretia Louise del Valle Henry Francis Grady (February 12, 1882 - September 14, 1957)...
, First US ambassador to India; Dean of the Commerce department at the University of California, Berkeley; President of American President Lines
See also
- List of American gentlemen's clubs
- Pacific Union Club PunchPacific Union Club PunchPacific Union Club Punch is a drink in William "Cocktail" Boothby's 1908 work The World's Drinks And How To Mix Them with the recipe:For a party of ten. Into a large punch-bowl place ten tablespoonfuls of bar sugar and ten tablespoonfuls of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice. Add two jiggers of...