Houston National Bank Records

Collection

Identifier: 1969-075

Staff Only

This collection includes administrative files from the Houston National Bank, as well as scrapbooks of prominent individuals associated with the bank.

The administrative files primarily pertain to the bank's 75th anniversary, celebrated in 1951. These files include correspondence, promotional material, photographs, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings. The administrative files also include publicity files and materials documenting organizations and conventions associated with the Texas Bankers Association.

The collection also includes personal papers from individuals associated with the bank, including the bank's president Melvin Rouff. Three scrapbooks containing correspondence, photographs, and newspaper clippings pertaining to banking comprise the personal papers.

Dates

1889-1964
Majority of material found in 1930-1955

Creator

Houston National Bank (Houston, Tex.) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access:

Open for research.

Conditions Governing Use:

Special Collections owns the physical items in our collections, but copyright normally belongs to the creator of the materials or their heirs. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish from copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form. For more information, consult the appropriate librarian. Reproduction decisions will be made by Special Collections staff on a case-by-case basis.

Extent

4.00 linear feet

Additional Description

Historical Note:

The Houston National Bank was founded in 1876 as a private bank by Henry S. Fox, Sr., who served as the bank's president until his death in 1912. Cofounder Joseph F. Meyers, Sr. succeeded him as president until Henry S. Fox, Jr. assumed the bank's presidency from 1914 until 1925. In 1928, Houston National Bank moved its headquarters into a newly-constructed building on the southwest corner of Main and Franklin Streets in downtown Houston.

Beginning in 1931, Joseph F. Meyer, Jr. served as president until the bank sold a substantial portion of its stock in 1950 to a group of businessmen, including the President of the Gulftex Drug Company, Irvin M. Shlenker, and longtime Houston National Bank employee Melvin Rouff, who was subsequently made president. The Houston National Bank merged with the Tennessee Bank and Trust Company in 1964.