Mellon National Corporation

Product Details

Intricately engraved antique bond certificate from the First Chicago Corporation dating back to the 1970's. This document, which contains the printed signatures of the company Chairman of the Board and Secretary, was printed by the American Bank Note Company and measures approximately 12" (w) by 8" (h).

The vignette is a bust of Judge Thomas Mellon.

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Historical Context

Mellon was founded in 1869 by Thomas Mellon and his sons Andrew W. Mellon and Richard B. Mellon, as T. Mellon & Sons' Bank. In 1902, the institution became Mellon National Bank.

Mellon Bank was an important force in the mass production revolution in the United States, especially in the Midwest. The Mellon family using the bank as a proxy had direct involvement with founding the modern aluminium, oil, consumer electronics and financial industries. Alcoa, Gulf Oil (now Chevron-Texaco), Westinghouse (now CBS Corporation and Siemens) and Rockwell, all were directly founded and managed by the bank. U.S. Steel (the world's first billion dollar corporation), Heinz, General Motors, Koppers and ExxonMobil (as Rockefeller's Standard Oil) were born and nurtured by Mellon.

In 1920 Andrew left his leadership post of the bank to become the longest serving U.S. Treasury Secretary in history (serving under three separate administrations).

In 1929, Richard founded Mellbank Corporation. In 1946, Mellon National, Mellbank, and the Union Trust Company merged to form Mellon National Bank and Trust Company.

A reorganization in 1972 brought about a name change to Mellon Bank, N.A. and the formation of a holding company, Mellon National Corporation.

In 1983, Mellon bought Girard Bank of Philadelphia and Central Counties Bank of State College, Pennsylvania. The next year, Mellon National Corporation became Mellon Bank Corporation, and purchased Northwest Pennsylvania Corporation of Oil City, Pennsylvania.

In 1986, Mellon bought Commonwealth National Financial of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is also reported that Mellon operated the 2nd largest financial computing system in the world.

In 1991, Mellon bought United Penn Bank of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The next year, Mellon bought 54 branch offices of Philadelphia-based Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, whose parent company had become insolvent. Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, was the first savings bank in the United States, founded in 1819.

In 1993, Mellon bought The Boston Company from American Express and AFCO Credit Corporation from The Continental Corporation. The next year, Mellon merged with the Dreyfus Corporation, bringing its mutual funds under its umbrella.

1998 saw Mellon's purchase of United Bankshares, Inc., of Miami, 1st Business Bank of Los Angeles, and Founders Asset Management.

In 1999, Martin G. McGuinn became chairman and chief executive officer of Mellon Bank Corporation. Mellon Bank Corporation then became Mellon Financial Corporation. Two years later, it sold its retail banking operations to Citizens Financial Group.

In 2004, Mellon announced it would purchase Safeco Trust Company from Seattle-based Safeco Corporation. The same year, it purchased outstanding shares in London-based Pareto Partners and offered them floor space in Mellon Financial Centre (opened earlier in the year).

In 2006, Mellon announced its plans to merge with Bank of New York. Talks began when Tom Renyi approached Robert Kelly about a possible amalgamation between the Bank of New York and Mellon Financial Corporation. The $16.5 billion deal was announced in December 2006 and finalized on July 1, 2007, with Kelly as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the new company, and Renyi as Executive Chairman. Per the deal, the new Board of Directors is composed of ten directors appointed by the Bank of New York, and eight by Mellon.

The merger was completed July 1, 2007, as The Bank of New York Mellon. Headquartered in New York, it is the world's largest securities servicing firm and one of the world's top ten asset managing firms. The new venture launched its brand identity on October 1, 2007.