Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-15

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management Of banks.
This has been brought he
Of the National Association Of
this year by Charlotte A. En-
The association composed OF
$3.50 women bank officers from
across the country has tripled
Its membership since 1850 and
estimates that around 5000
qualified women remain to be
signed UP.
Membership of the associa-
tons Capital Group includes So
women bank off1cers from 26
banks in this area, including
Washington and suburban
Maryland and Virginia. It was
founded in 1912 by the late S,
Winifred Burwell, assistant
trust officer Of the old National
Metropolitan Bank.
Entitled Women in Banking,
the national associations his
tory has been written by
Genieve N. Gildersleeve and is
being published by Public AZ
fairs Press Of Washington.
1t recounts the story Of Vir-
ginia Furman, who started her
banking career with the Column
bia Trust Co. In New York in
1915 and became the first
woman bank officer in that
city.
Became Frontage News
Her appointment as head Of
the women's department of the
Columbia Trust became 'front.'
page news. Suffrage leaders
hailed the admission Of a
woman into a field hitherto
reserved exclusively for men.
The New York State Suffrage
Party and the Women's City
Club. both possessors Of con-
siderable funds. Immediately
turned their bank accounts
over to the Columbia Trust Co.
A number Of wealthy women
followed suit and many women
who has been too timid to enter
q bank began to flock to Vir-
ginia Firman's department,
where they heard business pro-
cedures exploined in terms they
could understand,
Other New York banks quick
ly recognized the executive and
business-getting abilities of
women and followed suit. Kay
Cammack was promoted By
New York Trust Co. to become
the second woman bank officer.
= Other pioneers were: Nath-
allie Laimbeer. United States
Mortgage g. Trust Co.: Jean
Arnot Reed. Bankers Trust Co.:
Nina NJ. Bruere. Central Union
Trust. and Clara Porter. Guar
anty Trust Co.
None Of these women had
specific training in banking:
none was told exactly what her
duties would be in the bank |
Or how to obtain the new bust !
neks she was supposed to at |
tract. The chief executive Of
icer didn't know either. 4
In an interview reported in
the New York Commercial Of
April "a. 1926, Nina Bruere
gave a revealing picture Of the
prevailing situation:
The men executives of the
banks had no clear conception
of the program they wished
the women they were inviting
into their organizations to en-
ter upon. The women them
selves had none either, because
they had no precedent to fol-
low. we're starting out in an
entirely new direction and had
to chart their own course Of
experience"
Capital Had Pioneers
The six New York women
mentioned above talked over
their mutual problems and de-
cided to form an association,
to which women bank execu-
tives from other cities were in
vited to join. A number came
from Washington.
Washington also had its pio-
neers in this new field for
women. Miss Mary Jane Win
free became assistant secretary
Of Continental Trust Co. here
in October. 1917. and Louise
Mitchell became assistant cash.
Ter Of the American National
Bank in 1921.
Miss S. Winfred Burwell OF
National Metropolitan was an
other leader in this field and
became active in the national
association.
The Importance Of forming
local groups as a means Of
attracting new members anc
training future leaders was dis
cussed at the NABW's 1916
convention in Atlantic City anc
Miss Burwell decided to act
upon the suggestion.
Early in l941 she reported
that every NABW member ir
this city was a member of the
newly formed Capital GrouT
and that plans had been made
for bimonthly meetings.
At the 1941 national conven.
ton President Emma Clau!
said formation Of the Capita