About

History:

Alfred John Gock, chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank of American National Trust & Savings Association, lived here in 1940. He was a native son of California, born in San Francisco in 1889 and educated in San Francisco public schools and business college, and now a resident of Los Angeles.

Mr. Gock’s banking career began at an early age when he joined the old City and County Bank of San Francisco as a messenger. By 1912 he had become an assistant cashier with this institution, but in that year, searching for more opportunity, he entered the organization which is now the Bank of American as a teller at the bank’s Market Street branch.

From this point on his rise was rapid. In 1914 he was made an assistant cashier, in 1919 an assistant vice president. He was elected to a vice presidency and given a seat on the Board of Directors in 1923 and in 1928 promoted to head the credit department at the San Francisco headquarters of the institution.

Continuing his advancement, in November of 1930 he was appointed vice president and manager of the bank’s important California-Montgomery office (now the main office) in San Francisco. He returned to the San Francisco headquarters on January 1, 1938 as vice chairman of the Board of Directors. For a time during this period he also served as chairman of the Board’s executive committee.

On June 26, 1939, Mr. Gock was sent to the Los Angeles headquarters of the organization as administrative head of the bank’s affairs in Southern California, where he has remained until the present time. He was advanced to the chairmanship of the Board of Directors upon the retirement of A.P. Giannini on May 8, 1945.
He has held many offices with the California Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association. He is widely known in Masonic circles and is a past potentate of Islam Temple, San Francisco. (Source: “Eminent Californians”, 1953)

1940 Census:
4060 Cromwell Avenue (Rents for $160): 1) Alfred Gock, head of household; white married male 50 years of age; born in California; Vice-President of a savings bank; earns more than $5,000. 2) Lillie A. Gock, wife; white married female 50 years of age; born in California; not working. 3) Beatrice Dallas, maid; white single female 28 years of age; born in Illinois; housekeeper/domestic; earns $750.