Mary B. Cranston : An Oral History
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Mary Cranston (1969 BA Political Science, 1975 JD Law School) reflects on her legal career, her undergraduate and law school education at Stanford, and her involvement with the university as an alumna, including her service on the Alumni Association Board, the Law School’s Board of Visitors, the Board of Trustees, and the board of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Cranston describes her family background, including the business success and philanthropic contributions of her great-uncle William Volker, and her many connections to Stanford. She recalls attending Stanford at a time when gendered expectations for women students were in flux, and describes the circumstances that led her take a job with Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro (now Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP) after finishing law school. She describes the importance of key women mentors at Pillsbury, some of the steps she took to overcome both self-doubt and biases against women as leaders, and her selection as CEO of this Global 100 law firm. Cranston describes how her involvement with the Alumni Association led to additional university service opportunities. She discusses her appointment to the Board of Trustees; the Board’s culture and processes; and her service on the alumni, compensation, and audit committees. Additional topics include the merger of the Alumni Association into the university; the 2008 financial crisis; change over time at Stanford Medicine; and sexual harassment.
- Summary
- Family history in Chicago and Kansas City, Missouri, and founding of William Volker & Company by her great-uncle • Grandfather Hal Luhnow’s involvement in company; the Volker Foundation and its connection to the Hoover Institution • Family’s views on careers for women after marriage • Memories of grandfather Hal Luhnow and grandmother Ila Hill Luhnow • Mother’s time at Stanford in the 1940s, including Cap and Gown women’s honor society • Aunt’s attendance at Stanford • Mother’s high expectations for Cranston and her sister and encouragement of their career goals • Notre Dame High School in Belmont, California, and impact of single sex education • Family role models • Dick Odgers as sponsor at Pillsbury • Mentorship of Margaret Gill and Toni Rembe, first women partners at Pillsbury • Balancing children and career • Advocating for a maternity policy at Pillsbury; judges’ inflexibility in moving court dates to accommodate pregnant women • Reflections on how unconscious bias privileges white men in the legal field • Setting goals to become a leader in her profession; overcoming her own fears about her capabilities • Breakthrough litigation opportunity provided by Margaret Gill • Becoming the first female CEO of a major law firm; working with COO Marina Park to implement change at Pillsbury • “Baby step” strategies: developing sought after expertise and brokering connections • McKinsey study of women in top leadership positions • Finding a way into dominant networks; overcoming self-doubt • Cranston’s mentoring style • Memories of coming to Stanford • Expectations for women at Stanford in the 1960s • Interacting with Stanford Alumni Association as an undergraduate • Drinking and partying on campus during the 1960s • Reflections on sexual harassment on university campuses and in the workplace; #MeToo Movement • Choosing to major in political science • Graduate study in psychology • Decision to attend law school • Working in Stanford President Dick Lyman’s office; Bill Stone • Memories of Dick and Jing Lyman • Insights gained into how the university functions • University development and alumni relations during the 1970s • Anti-Vietnam War protests at Stanford • Stanford Law School in the 1970s • Women at SLS • Law professors: including Barbara Babcock, Richard Danzig, and Dick Markovits • Impact of economics and antitrust training in initial assignment to antitrust group at Pillsbury • Summer jobs while in law school; job at Pillsbury after graduation • Setting up scholarships at Stanford in honor of family members, including father-in-law Jack Cranston • Volunteer and board experiences at Stanford • Alumni Association Board • Negotiations for the merger of the Alumni Association with the university • Bowman Alumni House and the Arrillaga Alumni Center • Stanford Travel/Study • Stanford Centennial • Chairing the search committee for president of the Alumni Association • Hiring Howard Wolf to lead the Alumni Association • Diversity efforts in alumni relations • Stanford Law School Board of Visitors • Diversity at SLS • Working with SLS Dean Kathleen Sullivan • Board of Trustees nomination process • Roles and responsibilities of trustees • Research funding and Stanford’s endowment • Women on the Stanford faculty • Culture of the Board of Trustees • Fundraising campaigns at Stanford • Stanford leadership team: John Hennessy and John Etchemendy • Recovery from failed merger between Stanford and UCSF hospitals • Stanford’s response to 9/11 and 2008 financial crisis • Board of Trustees committees • Compensation committee and determining pay for top university positions • Women and pay equity • Audit committee and cybersecurity; risk management, including earthquakes • Stanford’s global medical strategy • Leadership in the Medical School • Growth of Stanford Medicine around the Bay Area • Stanford rankings • Fundraising for Stanford • Examples of excellent governance at Stanford • Advice to future trustees • Cranston’s involvement with Catalyst • Thoughts on efforts to increase the number of women on executive boards
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Extent | 1 text file |
| Place | Stanford (Calif.) |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
| Date created | July 8, 2020 - 2020-07-09 |
| Language | English |
| Digital origin | born digital |
Creators/Contributors
| Interviewee | Cranston, Mary B. | |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Cranston, Mary B. | |
| Interviewer | Marine-Street, Natalie J. | |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
| Subject | Cranston, Mary B. |
|---|---|
| Subject | Stanford University. Board of Trustees |
| Subject | Women lawyers |
| Subject | Stanford University. Students > 1960s |
| Genre | Interview |
Bibliographic information
| Biographical Profile | Mary B. Cranston is a retired senior partner and chair emeritus of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLC, an international law firm. Prior to her retirement in 2012, Ms. Cranston served as senior partner and chair emeritus from 2007 to 2011 and chair and chief executive officer from 1999 to 2006. In addition to her law career, she has served on a number of boards around the Bay Area. She was a trustee at Stanford from 2000 to 2010 and is currently the director of Catalyst, a think tank focused on women and leadership. She earned her BA in Political Science from Stanford University in 1969, where she graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Cap and Gown, a women’s honor society. She went on to receive an MA from UCLA in Educational Psychology and a JD from Stanford Law School. |
|---|---|
| Audio |
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| Finding Aid | |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/pn773hh6706 |
| Location | SC0932 |
| Repository | Stanford University. Libraries. Department of Special Collections and University Archives |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Collection
Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program interviews, 1999-2022
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