In this Book
- Ben Love: My Life in Texas Commerce
- Book
- 2008
- Published by: Texas A&M University Press
- Series: Kenneth E. Montague Series in Oil and Business History
summary
Serving as CEO of Texas Commerce Bancshares in the 1980s, during the collapse of the Texas banking industry, Ben Love had an inside view of the debacle. His story, told here in detail for the first time, provides an insightful perspective on the Texas banking industry’s evolution after World War II, its decline, and its subsequent recovery. It also offers a glimpse into of the kind of character that creates men of power. Love grew up with his family during the Great Depression. Their farm outside Paris, Texas, taught him hard lessons about opportunity and financial security lessons that would serve him well in the future. After America’s entry into war in 1941, Love flew 8th Air Force B-17 combat missions over Europe, and then settled in Houston with his business degree in the late 1940s. His entrance into the world of banking began as a member of the board of directors for River Oaks Bank & Trust. Houston was rapidly growing into a metropolis, and he accepted an offer to leave River Oaks to join Texas Commerce Bank in 1967. As president of Texas Commerce Bank (TCB) in 1969 and CEO in 197289, Love cultivated change from single banks to holding companies, garnering a national reputation for his banking organization. In 1984, Texas Commerce was the twenty-first-largest bank in the country. Under his competent management, TCB was the only Big Five Texas bank to survive the economic downturn. One reason for its continued success lies with Loves successful merger in 1987 with the Chemical Bank of New York, now J. P. Morgan Chase. Not only does Ben F. Love’s memoir reveal an inside look at the evolution of banking in Texas, but it will serve as an instructional guide to future business leaders and managers.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. viii-ix
- Chapter 1. Growing Up in Paris
- pp. 1-24
- Chapter 3. Growing Old Over Europe
- pp. 44-79
- Chapter 4. Back To The Real World
- pp. 80-103
- Chapter 5. From Business To Banking
- pp. 104-116
- Chapter 6. Downtown to Texas Commerce
- pp. 117-142
- Chapter 7. Solidifying The Base, 1968-72
- pp. 143-167
- Chapter 8. The Glory Years, 1972-84
- pp. 168-205
- Chapter 9. A New home For Texas Commerce
- pp. 206-217
- Chapter 11. Striking a Balance
- pp. 252-281
- Chapter 12 The Lessons Of A Life
- pp. 282-314
Additional Information
ISBN
9781603444149
Related ISBN(s)
9781603440493
MARC Record
OCLC
698586540
Pages
352
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No