Duration: 0:59

Views: 526

By: fuzzymemories

Description: Here's Part 2 of something pretty neat and rare - a workprint of an internal promotional film from Harris Bank of Chicago, titled Honesty and Fair Dealing: An Introduction to the Harris Bank and the People Who Make It Work, produced for the company's 100th anniversary in 1982. (although maybe it's just the slightly washed-out and dirty work print, this almost seems like it could be from about 1977 - right down to the funky music. I do know that bank culture always seems to be a bit behind the times, so maybe that accounts for it) Includes:

A basic history of the Harris Bank, starting with its founder and namesake, Norman Wait Harris (1846-1916), to show how the bank's values of "honesty and fair dealing" were shaped, with vintage illustrations and photos to show the trajectory of his arrival in Chicago in 1880; his founding of what started out as N.W. Harris & Co. in 1882, based on his concerns of bringing "Eastern wealth" to the area; his company started out offering government and municipal bonds in such entities as the Omaha Gas Manufacturing Company - all invested with his own funds. N.W. Harris & Co. was the only one to be able to say "We own and offer," and insured his employees get all the facts before investing in bonds. This led to the company, in only its first year, taking in $1 million worth in securities; by the end of the 1880's, a branch in Boston opened, followed in 1892 by a New York office (later Harris, Forbes & Co.) and expansion into corporate bonds, with an emphasis on "safety in banking," a state charter in 1907 (whereby it became the Harris Trust and Savings Bank), and the building of its own offices at 111 West Monroe Street in 1911.

N.W. Harris was succeeded in 1916 as president by his son, Albert W. Harris, who created an Employes' Savings and Profit Sharing Fund to ensure the company's employees would be provided for upon their retirement (they later added a pension plan). These values served Harris Trust and Savings in good stead following the Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression; Albert Harris had even contacted other banks across the nation with queries of how his bank could help them. All throughout, an emphasis on the quality of banking shaped how the company did business.

Next, a brief look at Stanley G. Harris who was in charge for 51 years, and later succeeded by his son Stanley G. Harris, Jr. who achieved a reputation as "a banker of enormous talent" over his 36 years running the company; his civic achievements and appreciation of fine art are looked over, with shots inside the bank's main headquarters.

This part ends with shots of the bank's two current main executives, President B. Kenneth West and Chairman of the Board/CEO Charles M. Bliss.

Narrated by Steve King. (http://www.steveking.net/)