George M. Ferris (1893–1992) was an American investment banker and philanthropist.
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'', November 01, 1992George M. Ferris Brokerage founder
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'', November 01, 1992 Among other roles, he was a founder, president, and chairman of the Washington Stock Exchange.

Early life

George M. Ferris was born in Newtown, Connecticut. He graduated from

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

in Hartford, Connecticut in 1916, where he played on the

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

team. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he served as a captain in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

Career

He started his career at S. W. Strauss. In 1932, he started Ferris & Co., an investment bank in Washington, D.C.Frederick N. Rasmussen
George M. Ferris Jr.
''The Baltimore Sun'', October 22, 2008 It later traded on the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed ...

. In 1988, it merged into Ferris, Baker Watts, and he retired as Chairman Emeritus. He was the founder and former president and Chairman of the Washington Stock Exchange, now part of the

Philadelphia Stock Exchange Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX), now known as Nasdaq PHLX, is the first stock exchange established in the United States and the oldest stock exchange in the nation. The exchange is owned by Nasdaq, which acquired it in 2007 for $652 million, a ...

. There is said to be some distant connection between Ferris and the Ferris Acres Creamery in Newtown, CT.

Philanthropy

He was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the

National Cathedral School National Cathedral School (NCS) is an independent Episcopal private day school for girls in grades 4–12 located on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by philanthropist and suffragist Phoe ...

and President of the National Homeopathic Hospital, the Hahnemann Hospital in Washington D.C., the Bond Club of Washington and the

Columbia Country Club The Columbia Country Club, located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is the successor of the Columbia Golf Club, which was organized on September 29, 1898 by nine men. Originally there were twenty members. The golf course, which opened in 1911, was desig ...

. He also sat on the Boards of the

Sibley Memorial Hospital Sibley Memorial Hospital is a non-profit hospital located in The Palisades neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and is licensed by the District of Columbia De ...

, the Boys Club of Washington, and his alma mater, Trinity College. He served as a fundraising Chairman for the United Givers Fund. The Ferris Athletic Center on the Trinity College campus is named in his honor. The ''George M. Ferris Professorship'' at Trinity College is named for him, is currently held by a Professor of Corporation Finance and Investments.William Butos faculty page
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Personal life

He was married to Charlotte Hamilton for sixty-seven years, who died in 1986. They had one daughter, Gene Ferris Benedict, and a son, George M. Ferris Jr., who took over the family business. He lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He died of

arteriosclerosis Arteriosclerosis is the thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries. This process gradually restricts the blood flow to one's organs and tissues and can lead to severe health risks brought on by atherosclerosis, which ...

in 1992.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferris, George M. 1893 births 1992 deaths People from Newtown, Connecticut People from Chevy Chase, Maryland Trinity College (Connecticut) alumni American investment bankers United States Army Air Service pilots of World War I 20th-century American philanthropists