S. Clark Beise; Former B of A Chief Introduced the BankAmericard

Former Bank of America President S. Clark Beise, who introduced the BankAmericard and presided over the development of computerized check processing, is dead at age 91.

Beise, who died at his Hillsborough, Calif., home Saturday, retired in 1963 after serving 10 years as president of the bank, but he never stopped going to the office.

Upon his retirement, the California Museum of Science named him California Industrialist of the Year.

Beise conceived and perfected the modern system of computer processing of checks and deposits, called an electronic recording method of accounting and commissioned the Stanford Research Institute to develop it. The bank dubbed it “Erma.”

Under his leadership, the bank added 300 branches in California and dramatically increased its overseas network of offices, as its assets grew from $8 billion to more than $13 billion.

Beise was hired in 1936 by bank founder A. P. Giannini.

He served first as a vice president in San Francisco and later in Los Angeles. He was named executive vice president in 1945, and elected to a seat on the board of directors and then became chairman of the managing committee.

In 1957, Forbes magazine selected him as one of the 50 foremost businessmen of America.

Born in Windom, Minn., Beise began his career as a bank messenger while still in high school. After tours at two banks, he came to San Francisco in 1933 as a national bank examiner.

Beise leaves his wife, Virginia, a son, daughter and one grandchild. Services already have been held.