James Mack Gerstley

As far as I know, all this is fine, except for the photograph! It's a picture of James Mack Gerstley's father, James Gerstley. You can easily find a picture of the Borax mining magnate on the web to replace this one.

(Dr) Paul Gardner AM Caulfield South, Australia

This is in fact a photograph of James M. Gerstley in his later years, not his father James G. Gerstley [his son]

INTRODUCTION (-James Mack Gerstley; "Executive, U.S. Borax and Chemical Corporation; Trustee, Pomona College; Civic Leader, San Francisco Asian Art Museum," an oral history conducted in 1990 by Ruth Teiser and Eleanor Swent, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1991. -by Elizabeth Lilienthal Gerstley

My husband, though born in England, had strong roots in America. His mother, Adele Mack, born in San Francisco, was the granddaughter of Lewis Gerstle, an early California settler. He married a sister of his business partner, Louis Sloss, who was my great grandfather. The Gerstle and Sloss families had adjoining houses in San Rafael where they usually spent the summer months. My father (whose mother was a.Sloss) and Jim's mother grew up together in this delightful country estate and so they were very pleased with our engagement, as they would not have to meet a lot of new relatives. Because of Jim's involvement with the Borax Company, we traveled a great deal and met many interesting people, several of whom became close friends. As our circle broadened so did our interests. Jim worked very hard for the Borax Company, putting in.long hours and bringing work home in the evenings and weekends. I know that among his business associates and those who worked under him he generated both admiration and affection for his leadership, good humor, and fair treatment. Fortunately, Jim likes to deal with problems and he had many to face over the years, as his position and responsibilities grew in the company. One of his great achievements was in building an "esprit de corps" by his good humor, common sense, sensitivity, and loyalty to those with whom he worked. Jim felt strongly about playing a useful role in the community, so he made time to go on various boards and play an active role in the operation of various institutions such as the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Pomona College, and the Farmer's and Merchant's Bank. In the Bay Area, in addition to being a board member, he was instrumental in developing the Haas-Lilienthal House at 2007 Franklin Street as the headquarters of the Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage and in founding the Western Jewish History Center of the Judah Magnes Museum in Berkeley. He became associated with the Asian Art Museum and its foundation in 1969 and has served, at times, as chairman of each. I know from many of his associates how important his leadership has been to all the many institutions he has served. Unfortunately, Jim has a marvelously compartmented mind and even when awakened before 6:00 a.m. by urgent phone calls can draw forth all the stored in£ ormation as needed. In addition to his business and financial ability Jim has many other attributes. He has excellent taste, is a very good cook, and has written well on various subjects. He has even shown some talent as an amateur artist. We are lucky to have many similar tastes as we both enjoy travel, sightseeing, meeting people, trout fishing, not to mention tennis when we were younger, golf even today, and many other sports. Our family and the happiness of our children and granddaughter are of the greatest importance to us and above all we just enjoy being together. Elizabeth Lilienthal Gerstley (Mrs. James Gerstley) December 21, 1990 Atherton, California

James Gerstley -- arts donor made fortune in borax firm Carl Nolte, Chronicle Staff Writer Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, June 6, 2007 James Mack Gerstley, a mining executive whose long and colorful career ranged from the famous 20 Mule Team Borax products to raising funds for San Francisco's Asian Art Museum, died at his home on the Peninsula on June 2 at the age of 99. Mr. Gerstley's management expertise enabled him to turn the Pacific Coast Borax Co. from a small firm that mined borates near Death Valley to a large and successful corporation. It was the sponsor of "Death Valley Days," a radio and television show that became part of the lore of the Old West. At one time, Mr. Gerstley's company used Ronald Reagan as the show's TV host. "Death Valley Days" helped revive the actor's fading career. Reagan then turned to politics, and the rest is history. On his retirement from the minerals business, Mr. Gerstley devoted his talents to raising funds for community organizations, including the Asian Art Museum. He and George Jewett, a business associate, were credited with raising more than $3 million to ensure that the Avery Brundage collection of Asian art would remain in San Francisco. It became central to the museum's collection. Mr. Gerstley also served as chairman of the Asian Art Commission and held executive posts with the museum foundation. He spent more than 32 years supporting the museum, and when he retired from the Asian Art Commission in 2002, he was named founding commissioner emeritus. The commission's resolution naming him to emeritus status recognized his "tireless work to secure the financial future of the museum through contacts, persuasion and visionary recognition of the fiscal needs and responsibilities of the museum." He also set up an endowment fund that enabled the staff to travel and scout for exhibitions. A much-acclaimed show of Mongolian art and a display of terra cotta soldiers from Xian, China, were among the results. "Without his foresight, we never would have had those shows," said Terese Bartholomew, a curator at the Asian Art Museum. Mr. Gerstley was born in London in 1907; his father was English, and his mother, Adele Mack, was a native San Franciscan with long ties to the city. Mr. Gerstley attended Cambridge University, where he earned honors. His father offered him a chance to sail around the world, and he jumped at the chance. In 1929, he arrived in San Francisco aboard a Japanese steamer. In 1933, he went to work as assistant to the president of Pacific Coast Borax in Los Angeles. He married Elizabeth Lilienthal in 1934. In those days, Pacific Coast Borax was a small company, owned by British interests, with its major asset a borate mine near Death Valley. The mines had a long history, involving the colorful teams of mules and horses used to transport the minerals to the nearest railroad in Mojave. Among the pioneer borax miners was Francis Marion "Borax" Smith, who had parlayed his borax earnings into real estate development in Oakland. Most of the company's products were sold overseas. One of its major products was Twenty Mule Team soap chips, which contained 85 percent soap and 15 percent borax. When soap was rationed during World War II, Mr. Gerstley, by then president of the company, developed a product called Boraxo, which was 85 percent borax and 15 percent soap. Sales went through the roof. Mr. Gerstley then converted the "Death Valley Days" radio show to television and signed on Reagan, and later Robert Taylor, another movie star, to be the hosts. Twenty Mule Team and Boraxo became household words, and Mr. Gerstley's name was a household word in mining circles. He merged Pacific Coast Borax with the U.S. Potash Co. to form the U.S. Borax and Chemical Co. A new mineral was discovered at Boron in 1957 and named "gerstleyite" in his honor. He was named to the National Mining Hall of Fame in 2003. He retired in 1973. He then devoted nearly all his time to community service. He was a trustee of Pomona College and was a financial adviser and board member of many other groups, including the San Francisco Architectural Heritage, the Los Angeles Music Center, Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, and the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. He was also the founding chairman of the Judah L. Magnes Museum in Berkeley. "He was extremely talented as a fundraiser and kept himself active in community service to almost the end of his life," said his daughter, Anne Gerstley Pieper. Mr. Gerstley is survived by Elizabeth Lilienthal Gerstley, his wife of 72 years; his son, James Gerstley, of Los Angeles; his daughter, Anne Pieper, of Concord; one granddaughter; and two great-granddaughters. The family prefers contributions be made to the Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., San Francisco, CA 94102; Pomona College Scholarship Fund, 333 N. College Way, Claremont, CA 91711; or the Haas-Lilienthal House, 2007 Franklin St., San Francisco, CA 94109. Services will be private.