Cornerstone plaque from the Bank of Finance
date: label: Date
content: 1964
name: label: Created by
content: Bank of Finance, American, 1964 - 1981
label: Subject of
content: Onie Burnett Granville, American, 1916 - 1998
label: Subject of
content: Tom Bradley, American, 1917 - 1998
label: Subject of
content: Perry Weldon Beal, American, 1905 - 1984
label: Subject of
content: Wilton A. Clarke, American
label: Subject of
content: Lorenzo V. Spencer, American, 1912 - 1969
label: Subject of
content: Edward Hunter Ballard, American, 1899 - 1988
notes: label: Caption
content: Founded by Onie B. Granville in 1964, the Bank of Finance was the first African American-owned and operated state chartered bank west of Kansas City. Granville, a long time real estate broker in Los Angeles, formed the institution with other prominent African American community leaders in Los Angeles: Los Angeles City Councilman and later mayor Tom Bradley, real estate broker Lorenzo Spencer, businessman Wilton A. Clark, and physicians Dr. Perry Beal and Dr. Edward Ballard. Along with Granville's sister, Bernice Malbrue, the six men named on this plaque became the bank's first board of directors. In the face of discriminatory housing and financial practices, the Bank of Finance played an important role in financing Black homeownership and businesses in the Los Angeles area until it was purchased by another bank in 1984.
label: Description
content: The bronze cornerstone plaque from the Bank of Finance building in Los Angeles, California, with the names of the bank's organizers. A rectangular metal plaque with six names in raised relief. The names are shined to a dull bronze color while the background is a darker color in a rough texture. Text on the plaque reads [Organizers / ONIE B. GRANVILLE / founder / PERRY W. BEAL, M.D. / WILTON CLARKE / LORENZO V. SPENCER / EDWARD H. BALLARD, M.D. / THOMAS BRADLEY, ATT].
place: label: Place used
content: Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
label: Place used
content: Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American West
label: Topic
content: Business
label: Topic
content: Civil Rights
label: Topic
content: Communities
label: Topic
content: Finance
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1961-1969
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Buildings and Structures
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Natalie Finney Mallard in memory of her Uncle Onie Burnett Granville
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2016.33.1
objectType: label: Type
content: plaques (flat objects)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: metal
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 27 15/16 × 22 1/16 × 3/8 in. (71 × 56 × 1 cm)