Benjamin Swig
Benjamin Swig | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 November 1893 |
| Died | 31 October 1980 (age 86) |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation | real estate developer |
| Known for | Co-founder of Swig, Arnow, & Weiler |
| Spouse | Mae Aronovitz |
| Children | Melvin Swig |
| Parent | Simon Swig |
Benjamin Harrison Swig (born 17 November 1893 in Taunton, Massachusetts, deceased in 31 October 1980) was a real estate developer and a philanthropist active in Jewish and non-Jewish communities.[1]
Biography
Benjamin Swig is the son of banker and politician Simon Swig, and the father of Melvin Swig. When Simon died, he made his son Benjamin treasurer of the Tremont Trust Company in Boston.
From 1925 to 1945, Benjamin Swig was a real estate operator. He was a partner of the real estate firm Swig, Weiler and Arnow that was founded in 1936,[1][2] which became the Swig company.[3]
In the 1940s he moved to San Francisco, which he loved.[4] He bought the Fairmont Hotel in 1945, and later the St. Francis Hotel.[5] In 1956, he purchased the Mission Inn in Riverside. He sold 1,000 artworks and artifacts from the hotel to revitalize its finances to no avail.[6][7]
In the early 1970s, the troubled elections at the Santa Clara University led the students to picket the Fairmont Hotel to protest against Benjamin Swig, who also served as SCU's Chairman of the board of trustees.[8] After Benjamin Swig repeatedly plead in his favor, the City of San Francisco granted the Key of the City to Sun Myung Moon in 1973.[9] In 1977, his son Melvin created the Mae and Benjamin Swig Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of San Francisco, the first ever Jewish Studies chair and program at a Catholic university worldwide.[10]
Other tenures
- Member of the Board of directors of the American Joint Distribution Committee[1]
- Member of the national Boards of the United Jewish Appeal[1]
- Member of the Israel Bond Organization[1]
- Member of the American Jewish Committee[1]
- Member of the Zionist Organization of America[1]
- Member of the Jewish Welfare Board[1]
- Member of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency[1]
Awards and recognition
- Knighted twice by the Vatican[1]
- Outstanding Civilian Service Medal[11]
Personal life
Benjamin Swig was married to Mae Aronovitz.[12][13]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Benjamin Swig Dead at 86". Jta.org. 4 November 1980. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ Charles V. Bagli (20 February 1997). "Real Estate Dynasty Is Nearing the End". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ "The history". Swigco.com. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1692079/m1/#track/5
- ^ Andy Altman-Ohr (12 May 2000). "Book chronicles one of S.F.s most influential Jews". Jweekly.com. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ "About the Inn". Missionmuseum.org. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ Alicia Robinson (25 March 2017). "Learn about the less-glamorous history of Riverside's Mission Inn in new exhibit". Sbsun.com. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ "The Redwood, 1972-1973". Scholarcommons.scu.edu. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ "The early mission, 1959-1971" (PDF). Tparents.org. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ "Our history". Usfca.edu. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ "Benjamin Swig Founds the Men's Guild in 1966". Gsgracenter.org. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ "Richard Swig, Chairman of Fairmont Hotel Management Company, Dead at age 72". Hotel-online.com. 25 September 1997. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ Glaser, Eleanor K. (1991). "Melvin M. Swig Interviews Conducted by Eleanor K. Glaser". University of California Berkeley - Jewish Community Federation Leadership Oral History Project.
Bibliography
- Bernice Scharlach (2000). Dealing from the Heart: A Biography of Benjamin Swig. Scottwall Assoc. ISBN 0942087186.