i A Relative Advantage: Sociology of the San Francisco Bohemian Club BY Peter Martin Phillips B.A. (University of Santa Clara) 1970 M.A. (California State University, Sacramento) 1974 M.A. (University of California, Davis) 1992 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIOLOGY IN THE OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS Approved: ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Committee in Charge 1994 ii Acknowledgements This work received support and assistance from numerous sources. The staffs at the University of California Bancroft Library, California Historical Society and California State Library - California Room each deserve a note of thanks for their assistance in locating primary source documents used in this study. Thank you also to the U.C. Bancroft manuscript division for permission to cite from documents in its collection. I want to thank Val Burris from the University of Oregon for allowing me the use of his database on national policy council members, Jeannette Glynn for access to her 1991 data in the directory Who Knows Who, and Kerry Richardson for his 905 Bohemian biographies. Recognition needs to be given to student assistants Mary Anne Ranasinghe and Abraham Lee for their long hours of library research and data input. Judy Bloch was the primary word processor, and my family members Tim Johnson, Nate Johnson and Erin Kimball spent long hours matching Bohemian names to various resource directories. Numerous Bohemian Club members generously gave of their personal time in support of my research. In particular Alfred Baxter and his campmates at Silverado Squatters deserve a thank you for hosting me at the Grove. Without their support the insights obtained in this study would not have been possible. I want to give special recognition to computer specialist Chula Ranasinghe for his expert management of the database systems needed for this study. Finally a sincere statement of appreciation to my wife and life partner, Gail Johnson, for her months of supportive advice and editorial reviews. Without her help the entire process would have been much more difficult and personally less rewarding. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements.................................................................................................... ii List of Tables ............................................................................................................. iii Chapter 1. Sociology of Elite Men's Clubs............................................................... 1 Chapter 2. Historical Development of Mens Clubs In the United States and The San Francisco Bohemian Club................................................................... 17 Chapter 3. Owls in the Redwoods The Culture of the Bohemian Club and Grove .......................................... 43 Chapter 4. Weaving Spiders Business and the Bohemian ....................................................................... 72 Chapter 5. Webs of Power Bohemia and Politics ................................................................................. 95 Chapter 6. Whoo Decides Policy Formation and Bohemia ................................................................. 121 Chapter 7. Finding the Forest in the Trees The Sociology of The Bohemia Club ........................................................ 141 Appendix [see separate pdf documents] iv Lists of Tables San Francisco Chronicle Article Titles............................................................................. 24 Guests Attending Bohemian Club Functions 1918 to 1931 as Listed in San Francisco Chronicle Articles ................................................................................ 25 Out-of-State Members ...................................................................................................... 39 Bohemian Club Annual Cycle .......................................................................................... 47 Summer Encampment Museum Topics 1993 ................................................................... 53 Museum Talk Summary.................................................................................................... 54 Bohemian Grove Dinner Menus ....................................................................................... 57 Bohemian Club Members Career Interests....................................................................... 64 Camp Specialties............................................................................................................... 65 Five Primary Career Categories........................................................................................ 73 Bohemian Grove Camps by S.E.C. Listed Holdings Over $100,000,000 in 1991........... 75 LList of Top U.S. Corporations with Three or More Bohemian Directors ...................... 77 Camp Affiliation of Bohemian Corporate Directors ....................................................... 78 % of Top Corporations Having Members or Guests at the San Francisco Bohemian Club Summer Encampment................................................................. 80 % of the Top 100 non-California U.S. Corporations With Bohemian Directors.............. 80 % Of the Top 100 U.S. non-California Corporations With Bohemian Grove Guests.................................................................................................................... 81 % Of the Top 100 Non-California U.S. Corporations Directors or Managers with Bohemian Club Members or Grove Guests.......................................................... 82 % Of Top 50 California Corporations Having Bohemians as Directors or Managers............................................................................................................... 82 v % Of Top 50 California Corporations Having Grove Guests .......................................... 83 % Of Top 50 California Corporations Having Bohemian Club Members or Guests ....... 83 % of Bohemian Club Interconnectedness With Top Non-California U.S. Corporations and California Corporations............................................................ 84 Guest List - 1941 E.O. Lawrence Party at the Grove ....................................................... 90 Participants at the Meetings of September 13 and 14, 1942............................................. 92 High Level Positions Held by Bohemians in U.S. Government....................................... 96 % of All Grove Guests from N.Y. or Washington D.C. ................................................... 97 Government Officials Invited As Guests To The Bohemian Grove................................. 98 Number of Positions Held by Bohemians in California State Government ................... 101 Positions Held by Bohemians in California State Government...................................... 101 State Government Guests at Bohemian Grove For 1991 by Position............................. 102 Bohemian Member and Guests Holding California State Government Positions.......... 102 Bohemian Grove Lakeside Chat Summary 1979 - 1993 .................................................106 1991 Weekend Chats Friday, Saturday, Sunday..............................................................108 1992 Weekend Chats .......................................................................................................109 1993 Weekend Lakeside Chats........................................................................................110 Locations of John F. Neylan's Dinners, 1935-1958.........................................................115 Honorees at Neylan Dinners ............................................................................................116 Top Most Interlocked U.S. Policy Councils....................................................................121 % of Board of Directors' Positions Held by Active Bohemian Club Members...............122 % Of Policy Council Board of Directors Positions on National Policy Councils Held by Active Bohemians and Guests ..............................................................123 vi Bohemian Grove Camps With Three or More Directors on National Policy Councils ...............................................................................................................126 Foundation Directorships Held By Active Bohemians....................................................128 % Of Active Bohemians who Held Foundation Directorships .......................................128 Grove Guests Holding Directorships in U.S. Foundations..............................................129 RatiRatio of Bohemian Foundation Directorships to All Active Bohemians in 1971 & 1991 ......................................................................................................129 Bohemian Grove Camps With Members Holding Three or More Foundation Directorships in 1991.......................................................................................................130 % C.M.A. and California Chamber Directorships Held by Bohemians ..........................131 S.R.I. 1991 Research Areas .............................................................................................133 Active Bohemians Who Are % of S.R.I. Directors .........................................................134 Number SRI Directors .....................................................................................................135