George L. Graziadio, Jr.

George L. Graziadio Jr. (1919–2002) was an American commercial real estate developer, banker and philanthropist. With George Eltinge, he developed 100 shopping centers for Kmart in California and elsewhere in the 1950s. In 1963, they co-founded Imperial Bancorp, which was later acquired by Comerica and renamed Comerica Bank-California. The Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University bears his name.

Early life George L. Graziadio Jr. was born in 1919 in Vernon, Connecticut. His father was a realtor, insurance businessman and auctioneer. The two men cobbled US$1.25 million together from their social circles to start the bank after they failed to have access to loans from banks for their real estate development projects. Additionally, he donated US$650,000 to endow the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies at California State University, Long Beach.

Personal life Graziadio married Reva Mikles, a native of Magazine, Arkansas. They resided in Rolling Hills, a gated community on the Palos Verdes Peninsula near Los Angeles, California. They had a son, G. Louis Graziadio III, and two daughters, Mary Lou Graziadio and Alida Calvillo.

Death Graziadio died of cancer on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in June 2002. His funeral was held at the Firestone Fieldhouse on the campus of Pepperdine University.