Watkins Anthony Crockett (Nashville, TN)

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Watkins Crockett

Watkins Anthony Crockett (November 8, 1868 – August 28, 1953)

Biography

  • Name: Watkins Anthony Crockett
  • Birth: November 8, 1868 Murfreesboro, TN
  • Death: August 28, 1953 Nashville, TN
  • Spouse: Mattie Cain Benson (1871-1940) (Married 1892)

Watkins Anthony Crockett was born November 8, 1868 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  He moved to Nashville with his parents when he was about 10 years old, and attended Nashville public schools before enrolling and graduating from Jennings Business College.  He began his banking career as a messenger for the Safe Deposit Trust and Banking Company in Nashville.  In 1891, he joined the Union Bank & Trust Company as a bookkeeper, was promoted to teller, and then, on March 8, 1901, to cashier of the bank.  In early 1909, he was promoted to vice-president of the Union Bank.  Nine days later, Samuel Keith invited Watkins to be vice-president of Fourth National Bank, charter 1669, which at the time was the largest bank in Nashville.  Watkins accepted this offer on January 14, 1909.

On December 1, 1909, he resigned from Fourth National to accept a job in New York City as vice-president of Van Norden Trust Company, at the behest of his brother in-law.  This move proved to be troublesome, as the company was soon renamed, taken over, and the parent company went bankrupt.  In addition, his brother in-law was convicted of larceny for stealing $140,000 from the parent company, named the Carnegie Trust Company.  Watkins had been promoted to president of Madison Trust Company, the renamed Van Norden, but saw his time in New York coming to a close due to matters beyond his control.

He returned to Nashville in late 1911, and was named vice-president of Hermitage National Bank, charter 9532, on December 4, 1911.  Watkins remained at Hermitage National through the May 22, 1915 merger of Hermitage National Bank with the Tennessee National bank, charter 10622.  He resigned from the renamed Tennessee-Hermitage National Bank in June, 1916, to organize a state bank named the Central Bank & Trust Company of Nashville, which opened for business July 20, 1916, with Watkins Crockett as president.  On November 22, 1922 Central Bank was nationally chartered and became the Central National Bank of Nashville, charter 12276.

On March 23, 1927 Central National Bank was absorbed by Fourth & First National Bank, charter 1669 at the time, and Watkins became vice-president of Fourth & First.  His stay there was very short, because on May 10, 1927, he resigned to help organize Nashville's last National Bank of the note issuing period.  Third National Bank in Nashville, charter 13103, opened for business July 18, 1927.  Third National was a very successful bank, and stayed Third National until late in 1996 when it was sold to what became Suntrust bank.  Watkins stayed at Third National and served as president until 1934, and as vice-chairman of the board of directors until he retired in December, 1946.  Watkins died of Parkinson's Disease on August 28, 1953, at his home in Nashville, and was buried in Mt. Olivet cemetery, also in Nashville.

Bank Officer Summary

During his banking career, Watkins Crockett was involved with the following banks:


Series 1929 Type 1 Serial Number 1 bank note with engraved signatures of W.J. Diehl, Cashier and Watkins Crockett, President.


References

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