Union Bank of California Commemorates a Century of Service at Its Historic San Francisco...

Union Bank of California Commemorates a Century of Service at Its Historic San Francisco Banking Hall

Rededication Ceremony to Celebrate the Venerable History of San
Francisco's First Commercial Landmark
SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
As one of the city's most enduring symbols of resilience and
integrity, Union Bank of California will commemorate the 100th
anniversary of its Main Banking Hall on Monday, Sept. 8, 2008, at
10:30 a.m. Mayor Gavin Newsom will join the bank's President and Chief
Executive Officer Masaaki Tanaka in officially rededicating San
Francisco Historic Landmark #3 during a brief presentation at 400
California Street.

The Bank of California main branch at 400 California Street
officially opened for business on September 8, 1908 as the first new
commercial structure in the Financial District to rise out of the
ruins of the 1906 earthquake and fires. Today, Union Bank of
California is one of the nation's 25 largest financial institutions
and, with almost 1,000 employees in San Francisco, continues a long
history of service to San Francisco, the Bay Area and the western
United States.

"This centennial event underscores Union Bank of California's
enduring solidity and strength," said President and Chief Executive
Officer Masaaki Tanaka. "One hundred years is an exciting benchmark by
any standard, and it has been a privilege to contribute to a century's
worth of progress and growth in California. By investing our effort,
time and resources, the bank has become woven into the fabric of the
community."

"I am very pleased to commemorate this historic occasion and
celebrate the strength and resilience not only of Union Bank, but also
the City of San Francisco," said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.
"This building is one of our community's many valuable landmarks, and
it helps us remember that we have survived and thrived during times of
great change."

CHRONICLING THE CITY AND THE WEST

Union Bank of California's Main Banking Hall earned its
century-old moniker--"The "Grand Old Lady of California Street"--by
emerging as the first commercial structure completed in the Financial
District after the destruction of the 1906 earthquake. The branch
anchored the classic thoroughfare and propelled the city's burgeoning
economy, quickly giving rise to the phrase, "Don't talk earthquake,
talk business!"

The company, originally founded as The Bank of California in 1864
by financier William Chapman Ralston, had occupied the corner of
California and Sansome Streets since 1867. However, it had quickly
outgrown its original quarters and made plans for an impressive new
structure on the same site. In January 1906, the bank moved to a
temporary location at California and Leidesdorff while beginning
preparations for the splendid new building. Progress was halted
abruptly by the earthquake and fire on April 18, 1906, but work
recommenced just six weeks later.

At the time, Bank President Homer King said, "The directors
thought it their duty to put up the best bank building in the United
States to show their absolute faith in San Francisco in spite of the
disaster." The Banking Hall has stood sentry over the corner of
Sansome and California ever since, embodying the city's resolute
pioneer spirit and earning a place on San Francisco's historic
register in 1968.

According to a 1961 San Francisco Chronicle article, the building
is "the best example of San Francisco's early architecture," a
"veritable temple of finance." The Banking Hall was designed by
renowned architects Walter Danforth Bliss and William Baker Faville,
who also collaborated on the Masonic Temple, St. Francis Hotel and
Geary Theater. The building's facade features impressive, four-story
columns made from Sierra white granite, which arrived in pieces via
horse-drawn carts. Meanwhile, the interior features a 54-foot
coffered, gold-leafed ceiling and sculptures of California mountain
lions by noted artist Arthur Putnam.

The building itself was a testament to the financial strength of
The Bank of California, the West's first incorporated commercial bank.
The company financed many aspects of the mining industry through the
Gold Rush years and handled more gold bullion than any other private
institution in the United States.

Ralston and the bank's early leaders leveraged the institution's
wealth to back critical infrastructure in the West, including the
Transcontinental Railway, the first irrigation systems in the San
Joaquin Valley, Hunters Point shipyard, San Francisco's cable cars and
even the fledgling wine industry. As a result, the bank was a key
player in the region's tremendous growth during the latter portion of
the 19th century and the early 20th century.

COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY

Today's Union Bank of California continues to uphold its proud
history of service through a strong presence in the communities it
serves. "Union Bank is committed to improving the quality of life
across the region of the American West that we have served for over
144 years," stated Tanaka. He explained that the bank does so through
responsible business practices that promote economic growth and
opportunities for underserved communities, as well as charitable
contributions from the Union Bank of California Foundation.

In 2007, the company donated $2.88 million to charitable
organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, making it the 14th
largest corporate philanthropist in the region. The bank and its
Foundation focus on four targeted areas to improve the quality of life
for Bay Area and California residents: affordable housing, community
economic development, education and the environment. The bank has also
provided substantial financial backing to San Francisco icons such as
the Asian Art Museum, the California Academy of Sciences and the
DeYoung Museum.

CENTENNIAL EXHIBIT

To commemorate the centennial, the Main Banking Hall will house a
special exhibit about its history, including exclusive photographic
images and artifacts from Union Bank's archives. The exhibit will be
on display during weekday business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) from
Monday, September 8 through November 7.

ABOUT UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA

Based in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a bank holding
company with assets of $60.6 billion at June 30, 2008. Its primary
subsidiary, Union Bank of California, N.A., had 337 banking offices in
California, Oregon and Washington, and 2 international offices at June
30, 2008. The company's Web site is located at www.unionbank.com.

Union Bank of California
Katie Pandes, 415-765-2617
katie.pandes@uboc.com
or
Sam Curley, 415-505-9064
samcurley@comcast.net

Copyright Business Wire 2008