Progress photographs on construction of Puget Sound National Bank's temporary Lakewood Branch. The temporary branch opened March 24, 1952, in an addition to Lakewood Center, directly south of the main shopping center, across the parking lot. Charles McCallum was to be the Lakewood Branch Manager. (TNT, 3/8/1952, p.A-3)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Banking--Lakewood;

Exterior view of Puget Sound National Bank's temporary Lakewood branch. As the 1950's began, so did urban flight. Population in the suburbs was booming and the bank followed its customers. In 1952, Puget Sound opened its Lakewood branch adjacent to the Lakewood Center and took in nearly $2 million in deposits by the end of its first year. Lakewood opened in temporary headquarters- a 35 x 75 foot plywood building- 10 working days after obtaining the Comptroller's approval. The permanent branch opened on 10-5-1953. ("Banking on Independence" by Barry L. Provorse)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Banking--Lakewood;

In May of 1952, two news hungry Tacomans, Mrs. Lindquist & Mr. McIntyre, picked up news bulletins, provided by the news room of KTNT, in the lobby of the National Bank of Washington at 1123 Pacific Avenue. On the morning of April 12, 1952, the pressmen employees of the News Tribune struck Tacoma's only daily newspaper and posted pickets around the plant. The strike shut down the paper from mid-April until August 12, 1952. This was Tacoma's first major newspaper strike in more than 30 years. The KTNT news bulletins, published by the news division the Tribune's radio station, and the Tacoma Reporter, which was published from June-August of 1952, helped provide news to the community during the strike.

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Lobbies--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Overall exposure of the rhododendron show at the lobby of the Bank of California. A bit of the outdoors has been brought inside the bank with this display of the lush flower of the state of Washington set off by pines, a flagstone patio and bench, backed by wooden fencing. Sponsored by the Tacoma Rhododendron Society.

Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Rhododendrons; American Rhododendron Society, Tacoma Chapter (Tacoma);

Exposure of 50,000 parking tickets being given away at Puget Sound National Bank's new downtown parking lot. As more people moved to the suburbs and relied more on their automobiles, the downtown branch of Puget Sound added an "auto teller" for drive through banking and a new customer parking lot to entice customers to come downtown.

Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Parking lots--Tacoma--1950-1960; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Reno Odlin (fourth from the left) sits with a group of employees from Puget Sound National Bank.

Bankers--Tacoma; Puget Sound National Bank (Tacoma)--People; Odlin, Reno, 1897-1979;

Man at desk in wood paneled office of the National Bank of Washington, surrounded by numerous floral arrangements. This is possibly C.T. Chandler, vice-president, in a photograph taken on August 2, 1952. In 1955 Mr. Chandler would be elected vice-president of Transamerica with an office in San Francisco.

National Bank of Washington (Tacoma)--People; Flower arrangements;

Tabulating equipment at Pacific First Federal. Punch card technology was developed in the mid-1880's by Herman Hollerith to help handle tabulation of data for the 1890 census. James Powers, working for the Bureau of Census developed a different type of card punch for the 1910 census. Powers left the Bureau to start his own business which merged with Remington Typewriter Company and Rand Cardex to form Remington Rand in 1927. Ordered by Remington Rand, Inc.

Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Remington Rand Co. (Rowayton, Ct.);

The Tacoma Savings and Loan Association held their annual Christmas party at the Fircrest Golf Club in 1952. Dorothy Hopping Roberts (third from left), Hazel Schaeffer Hopping and William D. Hopping, Jr. (second from right and extreme right) posed for a casual portrait behind a decorated tree branch. The couple at the extreme left were not identified. Dorothy Hopping Roberts was the daughter of William Hopping, Sr., president of Tacoma Savings & Loan. William D. Hopping, Jr., here with his wife Hazel, was the son of the savings & loan president. (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Tacoma Savings & Loan Association (Tacoma); Roberts, Dorothy Louise Hopping; Hopping, William D.; Hopping, Hazel Schaeffer; Hopping, William D.--Family;

ca. 1953. Bank of teller stations at the permanent Puget Sound National Bank, Lakewood branch. The main lobby had walnut panelling and recessed fluorescent lighting. It was arranged for the comfort of the banking customer. A counter on the left side of the picture supplies forms and writing space for the customer. Designed by Lea, Pearson & Richards, the facility was both elegant and practical. (TNT 10/20/1953, pg. C-9)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Banking--Lakewood;

ca. 1953. Puget Sound National Bank, Lakewood branch. The main lobby had walnut panelling and included the teller, note and statement units as well as the officers' sections. The lobby was arranged for customer service and convenience. The full basement was an employee only area with a conference room, book vault, employee's lounge with fireplace and a kitchenette. Some of the most modern features in the new bank were the recessed fluorescent illumination and the many outlets for electronic banking machinery. (TNT 10/20/1953, pg. C-9)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Banking--Lakewood;

ca. 1953. Safe deposit vault at Puget Sound National Bank, Lakewood branch. Opening off the main lobby was the safe deposit vault and coupon booths. The bank featured a 950 box safe deposit vault. Other conveniences offered included a drive up teller on the south side of the building. (TNT 10/20/1953, C-6 - C-9)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Banking--Lakewood; Vaults (Strong rooms)--Lakewood; Safe-deposit boxes--Lakewood;

Workers examine the excavation site and footings of the permanent home of the Lakewood Puget Sound National Bank in April, 1953. Unlike its predecessor, a 35 X 75 foot plywood structure which took only 10 working days to complete, the new brick colonial would take a more leisurely six months to construct. It would open on October 5, 1953, on Mt. Tacoma Dr. S.W. in the Lakewood Center. By the end of 1953, its deposits would have increased more than one million dollars from the previous year. (Provorse: Banking on Independence, p. 107)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Excavation--Lakewood; Building construction--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Exteriors of United Mutual Savings Bank, 125 So. 11th, and Household Finance Corp., 117 So. 11th. United Mutual Savings advertised itself as Tacoma's only insured savings bank and HFC, as the name indicates, made loans. The building is classical in design, with its symmetrical facade and carved columns.

United Mutual Savings Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Household Finance Corp. (Tacoma);

Interiors of the United Mutual Savings Bank in the Washington Building at 11th and Pacific. Tellers counter in the foreground, desks at the rear and at the loft area. United Mutual advertised itself as Tacoma's only Savings Bank, with the stipulation that only a savings bank could offer deposit insurance. United Mutual was a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Franklin F. Summers was president, with Harold W. Gloyde, William P. Matthaei and Charles A. Robbins as vice-presidents.

United Mutual Savings Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma;

National Bank of Washington lobby decorated for the Northwest Territory Centennial Days. Carl L. Phillips, bank president, holds one of the pictures to be displayed. The pictures document Tacoma around 1853. The festivities designed to celebrate the 100 year anniversary included an outdoor drama, a beard growing contest, district street dances & celebrations and a parade. TPL-9204

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Lobbies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Celebrations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma; Phillips, Carl L.;

Carl L. Phillips, Bank President, and Mayor Harold Tollefson, left, pose with a mannequin depicting banking one hundred years ago in the lobby of the National Bank of Washington. As the city of Tacoma prepared for the week long celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the Northwest Territory, centennial displays went up all over town. Tacoma's main connection with the centennial was that in 1853 Tacoma's DeLin mill shipped the first lumber from Commencement Bay.

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma); Lobbies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tollefson, Harold M., 1908-1985; Centennial celebrations--Tacoma;

Bank of California- customer parking and drive up banking window. The Bank of California heavily advertised its convenience features- a free parking lot, drive up teller windows and a rear bank entrance just steps from the parking lot. The drive up windows now had two tellers, making banking quicker and easier. The banking institutions tried to make banking in the downtown area more attractive, as business deserted the downtown area for the suburbs. The fifties saw the beginning of the desertion of downtown Tacoma as a retail area. (TNT 10/11/1953, pg. A-4)

Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parking lots--Tacoma;

New Puget Sound Bank at Lakewood, ordered by the Condon Co. The handsome permanent building was located in the Lakewood Center, facing Mt. Tacoma Dr. S.W. The elegant building had walnut panelling the the lobby, a customer's lounge with a fireplace off the main lobby, an employee's lounge that also had a fireplace and piped-in music. Lakewood's deposits by the end of 1953 were in excess of $3.1 million. (TNT 9/6/1953, pg A-10, "Banking on Independence," by Barry Provorse.)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Banking--Lakewood;

Charles McCallum, manager, Puget Sound National Bank, Lakewood branch. McCallum had been with the bank for 16 years and came to Lakewood the previous Spring to serve as manager of the temporary bank. Puget Sound Bank's philosophy was to name branch managers who were capable of running their operations profitably and were personable enough to attract customers. Their power was the equivalent of vice presidents at the Main Office and the bank aimed for managerial continuity at the branches. (TNT 10/20/1953, pg. C-3 & "Banking on Independence" by Provorse)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Banking--Lakewood; McCallum, Charles;

New Puget Sound Bank at Lakewood, ordered by the Condon Co. The permanent location of Puget Sound Bank was built in the Lakewood Center, facing Mt. Tacoma Dr. S.W. The red brick faced colonial with white trim was designed to match the existing architecture at the Center. The new building was three times the size of the temporary building. It measured 50 feet wide by 120 feet long, with 12,000 square foot of floor space, including a full basement. The building was designed by Lea, Pearson & Richards and Ketner Bros. Inc. served as contractors. (TNT 9/6/1953, pg. A-10)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Banking--Lakewood;

National Bank of Washington; Branch & Senior management of bank. Twenty men and one woman gather around the boardroom table. Carl L. Phillips, president of the bank, sits at the head of the table with C.T. Chandler, vice-president, to the right. The man to the right of Chandler in the chair is unidentified. The bank was known from 1913-1938 as the National Bank of Tacoma and was housed in the Italian-Renaissance building at the northeast corner of 12th and Pacific, that since 1971 has housed the Tacoma Art Museum.

Banks--Tacoma; Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bankers--Tacoma; National Bank of Washington (Tacoma)--People; Phillips, Carl L.; Chandler, C.T.;

The ladies' lounge in Puget Sound National Bank, Lakewood branch. The ladies' lounge, which opened off the lobby, was fully furnished in an early American motif and accented with its own fireplace. It added a truly elegant touch to the bank. The employees had their own lounge in the basement, also with a fireplace. (TNT 10/20/1953, pg. C-6)

Puget Sound National Bank (Lakewood); Banks--Lakewood; Banking--Lakewood;

Interior of the trust department at the Bank of California, ordered by Botsford, Constantine and Gardner. Seated at desks on the right are Frank C. Carmody, Assistant Trust Officer- front, and Edward S. Walker, Trust Officer, at rear. On the left are Mr. McLeod, front, and Mr. Williams, at rear. To the left is a counter arrangement with three people behind it labelled Trust Department. At the right rear, the door is open to an interior office, perhaps belonging to one of the Vice Presidents of the bank.

Banks--Tacoma; Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Carmody, Frank; Walker, Edward;

Remodeled departments at the Bank of California. This is a customer accessible area. It appears to be occupied by bank or loan officers. The officers occupy large wooden desks with comfortable leather chairs beside the desks for customers.

Banks--Tacoma; Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Remodeled departments at the Bank of California. This is the women's lounge. Two women share a conversation as they smoke in the seating area, while two women converse as one checks her makeup in the mirror in the vanity area. Several ashtrays are available in the seating area, as public smoking was not only tolerated but expected in the fifties.

Banks--Tacoma; Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Remodeled departments at the Bank of California. This appears to be the accounting department. Some young women run long strips of figures on what appear to be large adding machines. Other women check receipts at a high counter.The women are dressed in working attire, dresses, suits or skirts and blouses.

Banks--Tacoma; Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Remodeled departments at the Bank of California. This is possibly the employees' cafeteria where a single person is on duty in the clean and sparkling kitchen. A large commercial mixer can be seen to the right, while a woman fills plates with today's special in front of a commercial range. The counter in front has coffee pots on the warming plates as well as coffee cups and prepared food on the self serve shelves.

Banks--Tacoma; Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Remodeled departments at the Bank of California. This appears to be the employees lounge with chairs and sofa provided for comfortable seating. A tall commercial ashtray stands beside a coffee table covered with magazines. Books available for reading occupy shelves along the back wall. Dining tables and chairs are provided for employees to have lunch.

Banks--Tacoma; Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Remodeled departments at the Bank of California. This appears to be a non public accessible accounting area. Pairs of women confer over sheets of figures. Large adding machines sit to the right of the desks. Windows high in the walls and florescents supply lighting.

Banks--Tacoma; Bank of California National Association (Tacoma); Banking--Tacoma--1950-1960;