Randal Benjamin Curell (Nashville, TN)

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Randal Benjamin Curell (July 1868 – February 11, 1948)

Biography

  • Name: Randal Benjamin Curell
  • Birth: July 1868 New Orleans, LA
  • Death: February 11, 1948 Coral Gables, FL
  • Spouse: Anna Marie (O'Shaughnessy) Curell (1885-1962) (Married 1909)

Randal Benjamin Curell was born in July 1868, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Charles M. and Ellen (Lape) Curell. Charles was a Confederate veteran and physician. The 1870 census has the family living in Tensas Parish, Louisiana, and by the 1880 census they had moved to Greeneville, Mississippi. According to the 1945 Florida state census, Randal had a high school education, but did not attend a university. Randal moved to Nashville, Tennessee around 1887, and soon found employ with the First National Bank of Nashville, charter 150. In the 1890 city directory, Randal was listed as a clerk at the bank, and by 1894 he had been promoted to teller. In the 1902 city directory, he had been promoted to auditor at First National. Also, in early 1902 he helped form the Southern Union insurance company in Nashville. By the end of that year, it had been sold to a larger insurance company from out of state.

On January 14, 1903, Randal was elected Cashier of the First National Bank of Nashville. There are many newspaper articles placing Randal at various social gatherings, and he appeared to enjoy the social scene. He was named a Director of the Hermitage Club in Nashville in 1904, and in 1906 he joined the Nashville Automobile Club. On May 30, 1906, he helped organize the Nashville Clearing House, and in late 1907 the Clearing House issued scrip during the banking panic of that year. On March 3, 1909, Randal married Anna Marie O'Shaughnessy in New York City. The couple continued to enjoy the social scene in Nashville, and hosted many social events.

Frank Watts resigned as President of the First National Bank in 1912, and the Directors of First National decided that a merger with the Fourth National Bank of Nashville, charter 1669, would be the best course. The new Fourth & First National Bank of Nashville opened for business on July 5, 1912, under charter 1669, with Randal elected as Cashier of this new and larger institution. Fourth & First built a new bank building in 1917, and became a powerful regional bank. Randal was elected Vice-President of this bank on January 17, 1919, and was given the responsibility of developing a viable trust department for the bank. Randal spent the next 10 years as the banks' top trust officer.

Unfortunately, the Great Depression hit Nashville hard and in late 1930 Fourth & First was on the verge of failure. It was absorbed by the American National Bank of Nashville, charter 3032, in November 1930. Randal stayed on to wind down the many properties, securities, and other sales that would need to occur as part of the closure of the bank. The city directories from 1933 through 1937 list him as Secretary/Treasurer, and as Cashier of Fourth & First Bank, Inc., the shell company tasked with disposing of the old assets.

Randal and Anna traveled extensively by automobile in the 1920's. The newspaper accounts of their yearly vacations are well documented. Anna enjoyed the perks of money, and frequently relocated to New York and New Jersey during the summers. On one vacation, they went to Florida, and fell in love with the climate. In 1936, they built their retirement house in Coral Gables, Florida, and by 1938 had moved there. Randal died at their home on February 11, 1948, after a long illness. He is buried in Woodlawn Park North Cemetery in Miami, Florida.

Bank Officer Summary

During his banking career, Randal Curell was involved with the following bank(s):


$5 Series 1902 Date Back bank note with printed signatures of Randal Curell, Cashier and F.O. Watts, President.


References

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