John R. Beckett, 92, Transamerica executive responsible for San Francisco skyline's most distinctive feature
Hoodoo
Justin Berton, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle
June 28, 2010 04:00
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/28/BA2A1E3611.DTL
http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2010/02/26/ba-cityscape28_p_0501266188.jpg
John R. Beckett, CEO of Transamerica, set out to create a landmark
building with the construction of the 850-foot Transamerica Pyramid
designed by William Pereira.
http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2010/06/27/mn-BECKETT27_PH_0501873962.jpg
John R. Beckett
John R. Beckett, a San Francisco native and Transamerica executive
responsible for bestowing the downtown skyline with its most distinctive
feature - a pointy-tipped building - died June 17 from heart failure at
his home in Atherton. He was 92.
Mr. Beckett, known to friends and colleagues as Jack, became president
and chairman of the board of Transamerica Corp. in 1960 when it was a
little-known holding company.
Frustrated with advertising campaigns that failed to bolster the
Transamerica brand among regular citizens, Mr. Beckett sought out a
bolder and more lasting campaign: a landmark building.
"It gravels me to be head of the Anonymous Company," Mr. Beckett once said.
Plans for the Transamerica Pyramid drew instant controversy. At the time
construction began in 1969, the 850-foot skyscraper designed by
architect William Pereira was intended to become the city's tallest
building, and critics called it a symbol of San Francisco's
"Manhattanization."
The design also cut a startling figure. Some saw an ultramodern
structure, while others saw an abomination of whimsy.
Through the ensuing debate over the building's architectural merits, Mr.
Beckett served as the Pyramid's fiercest champion.
"My father adored the building from the beginning," said Belinda
Beckett, Mr. Beckett's daughter. "He was constant in his dedication to
that design."
As CEO of Transamerica for 23 years until 1983, he led its transition
from an anonymous holding company into a major diversified operating
company that had become a household name largely because of the Pyramid.
During Mr. Beckett's tenure, Transamerica increased earnings by almost
20-fold and grew to be one of the 100 largest companies in the United
States. He oversaw the purchases of motion picture distributor United
Artists, Transamerica Airlines, Budget Rent-a-Car Co., De Laval Turbine
and Occidental Life Insurance, to name a few.
In 1977 and 1978, Financial World magazine named Mr. Beckett Best Chief
Executive Officer of all U.S. financial organizations.
Mr. Beckett earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics
from Stanford University.
He was an avid tennis player and voracious reader, his daughter said.
But he also was a serious music composer. Mr. Beckett loved nothing more
than to conclude a long day by playing the piano, Belinda Beckett said.
He often wrote love songs for his wife, Marjorie.
It was the accomplishment of the Transamerica Pyramid that made Mr.
Beckett most proud in his professional life, his daughter said.
A devoted outdoorsman who hiked the Sierra frequently, Mr. Beckett told
friends and family he enjoyed the way the Pyramid resembled the shape of
a tree; because of the shape, the building allowed more light into the
city's Financial District.
A later advertising campaign for the company used the tagline
"Transamerica Pyramid - a San Francisco Landmark since 1971." It was one
campaign that finally satisfied Mr. Beckett.
"He was proud of that campaign and how people came to think of the
building," Belinda Beckett said.
Mr. Beckett was preceded in death by his first wife, Dian Calkin
Beckett. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Marjorie Beckett of
Atherton; his daughters, Brenda Beckett of Friday Harbor, Wash., and
Belinda Beckett of Sacramento; stepsons, Ted Beckett of Los Angeles and
Donald Abenheim of Menlo Park; and two granddaughters.
No services are planned. Gifts in his memory can be made to Dr. Michael
Fowler's Heart Failure Research at Stanford University, Salk Building,
Room 295, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305.
--
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KFJC.org, WFMU.org, WMSE.org, or WUSB.org;
because the pigoenholed programming of music channels
on Sirius Satellite, and its internet radio player, suck
Louis Epstein
: John Beckett - Transamerica exec backed Pyramid
The company was founded by A.P. Giannini as the holding company for
Bank of America,but was forced to spin off BankAmerica (eventually
bought by Nationsbank,which took the Bank of America name) and
then FirstAmerica (later Western Bancorporation and then First Interstate
Bancorp,it was bought by Wells Fargo which got bought by Norwest which
took the Wells Fargo name).
I'm not sure what they owned when Beckett became president but after
a survey found that people asked who Transamerica was thought they were
an airline,they ran ads saying "if we wanted to be an airline we'd have
bought one"...and then a year later they did buy one.They didn't keep
it too long.
Occidental Life (later Transamerica Occidental Life) became the bulk
of the company after other operations were sold off under Beckett's
successor James R. Harvey,and produced his successor Frank Herringer
under whom the company was sold to the Dutch firm Aegon in 1999.
: In 1977 and 1978, Financial World magazine named Mr. Beckett Best Chief
: Executive Officer of all U.S. financial organizations.
:
: Mr. Beckett earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics
: from Stanford University.
:
: He was an avid tennis player and voracious reader, his daughter said.
: But he also was a serious music composer. Mr. Beckett loved nothing more
: than to conclude a long day by playing the piano, Belinda Beckett said.
: He often wrote love songs for his wife, Marjorie.
:
: It was the accomplishment of the Transamerica Pyramid that made Mr.
: Beckett most proud in his professional life, his daughter said.
:
: A devoted outdoorsman who hiked the Sierra frequently, Mr. Beckett told
: friends and family he enjoyed the way the Pyramid resembled the shape of
: a tree; because of the shape, the building allowed more light into the
: city's Financial District.
:
: A later advertising campaign for the company used the tagline
: "Transamerica Pyramid - a San Francisco Landmark since 1971." It was one
: campaign that finally satisfied Mr. Beckett.
:
: "He was proud of that campaign and how people came to think of the
: building," Belinda Beckett said.
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.