Robinson-Farrand Papers

This collection contains papers of Henry M. Robinson (1868-1937), chairman of the board of the Security-First National Bank in Los Angeles, California, and attorney George E. Farrand (1878-1954), who worked with Robinson and also served as trustee of his estate. The papers are arranged in the following series: 1. Manuscripts (Boxes 1-5); 2. Correspondence (Boxes 6-18); and Ephemera (Boxes 18-19).

The Manuscript series contains 20 journals written by George E. Farrand from 1915 to 1954 as well as two printed publications. The journals include daily entries regarding his law practice, the weather, his weight, as well as details regarding family matters and world events, such as the Great Depression, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, World War II and the start of the Cold War. At the end of most of the journals, he includes a brief summary of his year, including personal, business and world events. The later journals also include numerous news clippings.

The Correspondence series is arranged alphabetically by author and predominantly contains letters related to business transactions such as the merger of First National and Security Pacific Banks in Los Angeles and the Julian Petroleum scandal as well as personal correspondence amongst friends, acquaintances, and political allies, including Henry M. Robinson, George E. Farrand, Harry Chandler, George E. Hale, Lou Henry Hoover, Herbert Hoover (many through Hoover's assistants, including Lawrence Richey and Paul Sexson), and Alonzo Englebert Taylor.

The Ephemera series is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically within each folder. It contains separate folders for biographical and genealogical materials, cards, empty envelopes, event programs, indices and disposition of the files of Henry M. Robinson, judicial opinions, law school examination, legal documents and research memoranda, miscellaneous office documents, newspaper clippings, notes and minutes from meetings, pamphlets and printed statements, photographs, receipts, securities issues and offering materials, Senate hearings transcripts, speeches and statements of assets and "C" memoranda. The detailed indices of Henry M. Robinson's files indicate the status of his files upon his death and the disposition of those materials by his brother and George E. Farrand.