Roth, William M. (William Matson), 1916-

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United States Ambassador, American businessman, negotiator.

From the description of William M. Roth papers, 1914-1973 (bulk 1950-1973). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122500170

Biographical Note

United States Ambassador, American businessman, negotiator.

From the guide to the William M. (William Matson) Roth Papers, 1914-1973, 1950-1973 (bulk), (Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.)

Chronology

  • 1817: Domingo Ghirardelli born in Rapallo, Italy
  • 1849: Ghirardelli immigrates to California, following his former neighbor, James Lick. Ghirardelli successfully opens stores in San Francisco and Stockton.
  • Circa 1856: Ghirardelli opens a store on Jackson street. This store thrives for over 40 years.
  • 1889: Ghirardelli signs the business over to his sons.
  • 1899: Ghirardelli's sons build the "Chocolate Building" on property they purchased overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
  • 1900: Construction of the "Cocoa Building."
  • 1901: Construction of the "clock Tower."
  • 1915: Construction of the "Power House."
  • 1960s: Golden Grain Macaroni Company purchases Ghirardelli Chocolate and relocates operations. William Matson Roth and his mother, Mrs. William P. Roth, purchase the entire Ghirardelli block. Ghirardelli Square opens and is considered the first successful adaptive reuse project in the country.

From the guide to the Ghirardelli Square architectural records, 1911-1979, (The Bancroft Library)

Biographical Note

William Matson Roth, along with Jane Grabhorn, was one of the acting managers of the Colt Press of San Francisco in the 1940's. The Colt Press published writers such as Ann Stanford, Edmund Wilson, Henry Miller, J. V. Cunningham. Through the association with the press William M. Roth, later to be U.S. Ambassador, businessman, and a negotiator, established a friendship with novelist and poet Kenneth Patchen.

From the guide to the William M. Roth correspondence, 1941-1965, (University of California, Santa Cruz. University Library. Special Collections and Archives)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Colt Press. corporateBody
associatedWith Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Golden Gate International Exposition (1939-1940 : San Francisco, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Grabhorn Press. corporateBody
associatedWith Honolulu Oil Corporation. corporateBody
associatedWith Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963. person
associatedWith Matson Navigation Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Miles, Josephine, 1911- person
associatedWith Miles, Josephine, d 1911- person
correspondedWith Miller, Russell R., 1937- person
associatedWith Mooser, William, 1868-1961? person
correspondedWith New Directions Publishing Corp. corporateBody
associatedWith Online Archive of California. corporateBody
associatedWith Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Patchen, Kenneth, 1911-1972. person
associatedWith Patchen, Miriam. person
associatedWith Sanders, J. B. de C. H person
associatedWith Sanders, J. B. de C. H. person
associatedWith University of Oklahoma. Political Commercial Archive. corporateBody
associatedWith Williams, Jonathan, 1929-2008. person
associatedWith Williams, Jonathan, d 1929 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
California--San Francisco
United States
California
Ghirardelli Square (San Francisco, Calif.)
Subject
Advertising, political
Poets, American
Chocolate factories
City planning
Poets, American y 20th century
Printers
Printers
Television advertising
Occupation
Collector
Activity

Person

Birth 1916-09-03

Information

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