College National Bank, Berkeley, CA (Charter 11495)

The College National Bank, 2036 Shattuck Avenue, looking North in 1925. The building under construction in the background is now (2024) occupied by a branch of Chase Bank on Center Street. Courtesy of the BAHA Archives.

College National Bank, Berkeley, CA (Chartered 1919 - Liquidated 1929)

Town History

Perhaps no banking house was shorter lived that that of the College National Bank of Berkeley, California. The Lancaster Building was razed in 1922 and a "monumental structure" for the College National Bank was built on the northwest corner of Addison Street and Shattuck Avenue. Shortly after controlling interest was sold to the American Trust Co. in 1929, the building was battered down, its heavy vaults removed and the Kress Building, a Five and Dime chain store, was constructed.

This is the northwest corner of Addison Street and Shattuck, Avenue located across from the old Kress Building. The two corners are consistently confused in reports of the day.

Berkeley is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emeryville to the south and the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington to the north. Its eastern border with Contra Costa County generally follows the ridge of the Berkeley Hills. The 2020 census recorded a population of 124,321. In 1920 the population was 56,036 growing to 82,109 by 1930.

In 1866, Oakland's private College of California looked for a new site. It settled on a location north of Oakland along the foot of the Contra Costa Range (later called the Berkeley Hills) on Strawberry Creek, at an elevation of about 500 feet above the bay, commanding a view of the Bay Area and the Pacific Ocean through the Golden Gate.

According to the Centennial Record of the University of California, "In 1866, at Founders' Rock, a group of College of California men watched two ships standing out to sea through the Golden Gate. One of them, Frederick Billings, thought of the lines of the Anglo-Irish Anglican Bishop George Berkeley, 'westward the course of empire takes its way,' and suggested that the town and college site be named for the eighteenth-century Anglo-Irish philosopher." The philosopher's name is pronounced BARK-lee, but the city's name, to accommodate American English, is pronounced BERK-lee.

Berkeley is home to the oldest campus in the University of California, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is managed and operated by the university. It also has the Graduate Theological Union, one of the largest religious studies institutions in the world. Berkeley is considered one of the most socially progressive cities in the United States.

Berkeley had five National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and four of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

• Organized September 30, 1919
• Chartered October 31, 1919
• Liquidated July 27, 1929
• Absorbed by American Trust Company, San Francisco

Around 1900, The College National Bank was established at the Berkeley Commercial College and in January 1900, it was making extensive preparations to increase their work. New blanks, receipts and books were ordered. In May 1901, at graduating exercises, Principal A.W. Atherton discussed the favorable advances business education had made in the college town. Miss Gertrude M. Earle gave an interesting talk on the relative bearing of stenographic training. On October 21st after briefly closing on account of the scandal concerning the two teachers, Miss Earle and Mr. Atherton, it reopened again with Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Longenecker of Redding as the new instructors. Mr. Longenecker resigned from a position in the Redding High School to come to Berkeley.

In December 1918, B.F. Lynip, organizer of the First National Bank of Alturas, its cashier and manager, moved to Berkeley, where he would have charge of the College National Bank. Lynip came to Alturas fifteen years ago. He started the bank with a capitalization of $25,000, and developed it until it had resources of $750,000. He would retain interests in the Alturas bank. C.N. Jackson, assistant cashier for several years, succeeded Lynip as Cashier of First National. In May 1901, at graduating exercises, Principal A.W. Atherton discussed the favorable advances business education had made in the college town. Miss Gertrude M. Earle gave an interesting talk on the relative bearing of stenographic training. On October 21st after briefly closing on account of the scandal concerning the two teachers, Miss Earle an Mr. Atherton, it reopened again with Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Longenecker of Redding as the new instructors. Mr. Longenecker resigned from a position in the Redding High School to come to Berkeley.

In November 1919, a handsome new bank building was planned to be erected at the northwest corner of Shattuck Avenue and Addison Street by the College National Bank which would open its doors in temporary quarters, 2079 Addison Street, just below Shattock on Monday, November 10th. The capital of the new bank was $200,000 and the surplus $30,000. The president was B.F. Lynip; the cashier, B.G. Ensign; and John O. Matthias, assistant cashier. Lynup was vice president of the First National Bank of Alturas, also vice president of the West Berkeley Bank, and owned large interests in property in Berkeley. Ensign came to California some seven years ago from Iowa where he had been president of one bank and vice president of two other banking institutions and was the manager and cashier of the First National Bank at Rodeo, California. The College National Bank building would take up a frontage of 55 feet on Shattuck Avenue and 150 feet along Addison Street.

In December 1920, L.L. Herrick, for the past several years cashier and member of the board of directors of the Bank of Concord and W.A. Cole, well-known capitalist of the bay cities, sold their interests in the Bank of Concord to B.H. Ensign of the College National Bank of Berkeley and Albert Smith of the First National Bank of Rodeo.  The change would take place on the first of the year.  The Bank of Concord was capitalized for $50,000 and was one of the prosperous banking institutions in the central part of Contra Costa County. In October 1921, Ensign negotiated one of the most important deals purchasing the San Ramon Valley Bank at Walnut Creek, the branch bank of that institution at Danville, and the First National Bank of Walnut Creek, Charter 10281.  Options were secured some time ago on the stock of these three banks by Ensign.  Ensign would be president of the new organization.  Numa Boone, president of the San Romon Valley Bank and its branch at Danville, would retire from the presidency but would remain as a director.  Frank Marshall, one of the most progressive young bankers in the county and the cashier of the San Ramon Valley Bank would retain his position as cashier of the three banks which had assets of $1,000,000 and combined capital and surplus of $120,000.

In October 1922, the College National Bank advertised for bids for the wrecking of its old building at Addison Street and Shattuck Avenue. Construction of a new building on this site would begin as soon as the debris was cleared.

On January, 10, 1923, Ben F. Lynip lost control of the College National Bank at the annual meeting of stockholders. With Lynip went three of the directors identified with him: F.E. Heath, a dairyman was elected Lynips successor. The other directors were John O. Matthias, F.M. Miller, a banker of Lakeview Oregon, Charles W. Brock, Oscar T. Barber, J. George Moore, C.B. Newton, E.B. Ogle, L.M. Williamson, D.P. Brown, and George L. Schneider. In February 1923, the contract was let for the new building on the northwest corner of Addison Street and Shattuck Ave to cost $75,000.

Invitations were received in Alturas to attend the opening of business of the College National Bank in the new bank building set for Saturday, December 1, 1923. D.P. Browne, well-known capitalist and stock man of Modoc and of Lake County, Oregon, and F.M. Miller, both directors of the Commercial National Bank of Lakeview, were among the directors of the College National Bank. F.E. Heath was president; J.O. Matthias, cashier; and Oscar Barber and Charles Newton, vice presidents.

In February 1924, as part of an extensive program of expansion, the American Bank of Oakland announced the purchase of the College National Bank. No drastic changes in the personnel of the College National were planned, according to P.E. Bowles, president of the American Bank. Activities of the American Bank in the past year included opening of the Sather Gate branch and the purchase of the Livermore Valley Savings Bank, the Bank of Tracy, the Bank of Tracy's branch at Byron, the First National Bank at Martinez, and the First National Bank at Livermore. During this period the bank's capital stock was advanced from $600,000 to $1,000,000.

In August 1926, P.A. Dinsmore, vice president of the American Bank announced the purchase of the College National Bank of Berkeley. The deal, signed on July 26th, included the College National Bank building as well as the bank itself and represented a transaction of more than $1,600,000. The merger of the College National Bank into the rapidly growing American bank system would be completed as soon as the necessary legal steps were concluded. This made the 24th branch in the American Bank system. With the merger of the College National Bank, the total assets of the American Bank would be in excess of $82,000,000.

On Thursday, July 25, 1929, Frank Thatcher, vice president of the American Trust Company, announced the consolidated of his institution with the College National Bank of Berkeley. The merger would add $1,500,000 in assets to the American Trust Company. The trust company was located just one block away at Shattuck Avenue and Center Street. O.C. Attletweed, vice president and manager, and Leo G. Pitus, cashier, would be made executives of the trust company. The purchase was approved by Will C. Wood, state superintendent of banks. The office of the College National Bank would be closed and the assets moved to the Berkeley branch of the American Trust Company. The merger was effective on Saturday, September 27th.

In June 1929, the first all-Berkeley-built airplane was on display in the lobby of the College National Bank of Berkeley. The new Neilson Brougham monoplane [NC-1 Golden Bear] was a three-seat aircraft equipped with a variety of safety devices and comfort features, including a fire-proof cabin and engine, aluminum body, quick-opening doors, non-shatterable glass in cabin and pilot's compartment, aluminum gasoline tanks in wings, oil lines protected with flexible joints and body construction of molybdenum steel. The plane had a Comet motor. dual control, hydraulic shock absorbers with Bendick internal brakes and 6X30 balloon tires. According to the designers and builders, Tom Neilson and Neilson Steel Aircraft Company, it was capable of attaining 120 miles and hour with a landing speed of 45 miles an hour. The plane was 28 feet long and had a wing spread of 38 feet.

In March 1933, the last of a Berkeley land mark was carted away in trucks. Wreckers tore down the structure on the northeast [sic] corner of Addison and Shattuck Avenue that formerly housed the College National Bank organized in 1919 by F.B. Lynip. On May 11, 1933, a contract for a two-story building on the northwest corner of Shattuck Avenue and Addison Street, Berkeley, was let to the Dinwiddie Construction Company. The construction firm had recently put up the new gymnasium for men at the University of California. The structure would be known as the Kress Building of the S.H. Kress Company.

On June 8, 1955, Brown Garfield Ensign, 76, of 6417 Hillegass Avenue, who served as vice president of two Richmond banks before retiring two years ago, succumbed at his home. A native of Effingham, Illinois, he had lived in the Berkeley-Oakland area for more than 40 years, his home being four doors from the Berkeley line. For many years Mr. Ensign was vice president of the Central Valley Bank of Richmond and later was vice president of the Security Savings and Loan Co. of Richmond. Mr. Ensign was born and reared in Effingham and was well and favorably known there as cashier of the First National Bank of Effingham for several years and until his departure for California in 1912. He was cashier of the State Bank of Neola, Iowa, resigning in May 1912. In California, he became a bank examiner and was the first cashier of the College National Bank of Berkeley. His wife was the former Mae Donaldson of Wellsborough, Pennsylvania.

On Thursday, May 16, 1957, Leo Grant Titus, 70, well-known in banking and Masonic circles died of a heart attach at his home in Berkeley. Mr. Titus began with the American Trust, Berkely Branch in 1922 as a note teller and soon rose to assistant cashier. He continued as an officer in the bank until his retirement in 1952. Prior to moving to Berkeley in 1918, Mr. Titus had been a part owner and manager of a small bank in Hughson, California. He was also president of the College National Bank. In 1938 Mr. Titus was transferred to the main office of the bank in San Francisco. From 1942 to 1944 he took a leave of absence from the American Trust Co. and managed the Bank of America in Samoa. A native of Pipestone, Minnesota, Mr. Titus received a degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington and for a time worked as an engineer before entering the banking business.

Official Bank Title

1: The College National Bank of Berkeley, CA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with stamped signatures of John O. Matthias, Cashier and F.E. Heath, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $1,022,900 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1919 and 1929. This consisted of a total of 81,832 notes (81,832 large size and No small size notes).

This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:

Series/Type	Sheet/Denoms	Serial#s	Sheet Comments
1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	1 - 20458

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1919 - 1929):

Presidents:

• Benjamin Franklin Lynip, 1920-1922
• Frank Ernest Heath, 1923-1923
• Oscar T. Barber, 1924-1928

Cashiers:

• Brown Garfield Ensign, 1920-1921
• John O. Matthias, 1922-1924
• Leo Grant Titus, 1925-1928

Other Known Bank Note Signers

• Ole C. Attletweed, Vice President 1929

Bank Note History Links

• College National Bank, Berkeley, CA History (NB Lookup)
• California Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)
• Huntoon, Peter, Chapter M7, College and University National Banks. Encyclopedia of U.S. National Bank Notes, pp 1-2.

Sources

• Berkeley, CA, on Wikipedia
• Don C. Kelly, National Bank Notes, A Guide with Prices. 6th Edition (Oxford, OH: The Paper Money Institute, 2008).
• Dean Oakes and John Hickman, Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes. 2nd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1990).
• Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project
• Thompson, Daniella, The Evolution of a Downtown Corner, Berkeley Landmarks, accessed Oct. 6, 2024. Pictures of the College National Bank and the Kress Building at Shattuck Avenue.