Great American Bank was a prominent American savings and loan association headquartered in San Diego, California. Originally founded in 1885 as the San Diego Building and Loan Association, it grew significantly through various mergers and acquisitions during the 1970s and 1980s, eventually operating over 200 offices across several states, including California, Arizona, Washington, Montana, and Colorado. The bank faced severe financial difficulties during the real estate downturn of the early 1990s, leading to insolvency. In 1991, federal regulators seized the institution, and its remaining assets and branches were liquidated and sold to various successors, including Wells Fargo, Banc One, and others.