Sam M. Fleming (1908–2000) was an American banker, chief executive and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. As president and

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the Third National Bank of Nashville from 1950 to 1973, he financed many publicly traded corporations as well the country music industry.

Biography

Early life

Samuel M. Fleming was born in 1908 in Franklin, Tennessee.Tennessee Portrait Project
/ref>Tennessee State Senate Joint Resolution
/ref>Bill Carey
Banking giant Sam Fleming dies
''NashvillePost.com'', January 21, 2000Bill Carey
The life of Sam Fleming: One great deal after another
''

NashvillePost.com ''NashvillePost.com'' is an online news service covering business, politics and sports in the Nashville metropolitan area. It is locally owned and available by subscription. ''NashvillePost.com'' competes with other daily news media in the Middl ...

'', January 22, 2000Former VU board president Sam Fleming mourned
''Vanderbilt Reporter'', January 28, 2000 His great-grandfather, Newton Cannon (1781–1841), served as the

Governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

from 1835 to 1839, as was his great-granduncle, Aaron V. Brown (1795–1859), from 1845 to 1847. He graduated from Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee in 1924 and from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1928.

Career

Fleming started his career at the New York Trust Company in New York City. However, after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, he returned to Tennessee. In 1931, he started working for the credit department of the Third National Bank of Nashville (now merged with SunTrust Banks). By 1950, he became its president, and later served as its chairman. In this capacity, he played a major role in financing companies like the National Life and Accident Insurance Company, Genesco (), the Hospital Corporation of America () and

KFC KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...

, a subsidiary of YUM! Brands (). He also loaned money to Castle Recording, a country music company, and many country music stars were clients of the bank. He sat on the Boards of Directors of the National Life and Accident Insurance Company, Genesco, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, Jack Daniel's, Murray Ohio Manufacturing, the First National Bank of

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...

, and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. He was also a founding director of Hillsboro Enterprises. He served as the president of the American Bankers Association, a director of the Nashville branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and a member of the Federal Advisory Council for the Sixth Federal Reserve District. During the Second World War, he served in the United States Navy Reserve from 1942 to 1945.

Philanthropy

Fleming served on the board of trust of his alma mater, Vanderbilt University, from 1952 to 2000, and as its chairman from 1975 to 1981. He was named the Trustee of the Year for Private Universities Award from the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges in 1983. He served on the boards of trustees of Meharry Medical College, Battle Ground Academy, the Harpeth Hall School and The Ensworth School. He also served on the boards of directors of the Nashville Chapter of Junior Achievement, Youth Incorporated, the

United Givers Fund United Givers Fund is the name used by several current or historical joint charitable appeals in the United States. Many of these appeals later adopted the United Way name, sometimes in conjunction with a merger with another charitable appeal. Fun ...

and Community Chest as well as on the executive council of the Boy Scouts of America. He served as a deacon and elder of First Presbyterian Church. He was the treasurer of the Tennessee Historical Society and member of the Tennessee Historical Commission and State of Tennessee Civil War Centennial Commission. He played golf with President

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

(1890–1969) and later supported President

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

(1908–1973).

Personal life and death

Fleming was first married to Josephine Cliffe Fleming. They had a son, Daniel Milton Fleming. He remarried to Valerie (Ellis) Fleming. They had a daughter, Joanne Fleming Hayes, who serves on the Board of Trust of Vanderbilt University. Fleming died of pneumonia in 2000 at the Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville. His funeral took place at the First Presbyterian Church in Nashville.

Legacy

*His portrait, painted by Ann Street, is displayed in Kirkland Hall, the administration building on the campus of Vanderbilt University. *Fleming Yard on the campus of Vanderbilt University is named in his honor.

Secondary source

*Ridley Wills, II, ''Yours to Count On (A Biography of Nashville Banker Extraordinaire Sam M. Fleming)'' (Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University Press, 2007).Google Books
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleming, Sam M. 1908 births 2000 deaths American bankers American chief executives of financial services companies American Bankers Association American Presbyterians Deaths from pneumonia in Tennessee Federal Reserve Bank people People from Franklin, Tennessee People from Nashville, Tennessee United States Navy reservists Vanderbilt University alumni 20th-century American philanthropists