James H. Perkins

James Handasyd Perkins (January 11, 1876 – July 12, 1940) was a chairman of National City Bank.

Biography

Perkins was born in Milton, Massachusetts on January 11, 1876 to Edward Cranch Perkins and Jane Sedgwick Watson

He attended the Milton Academy and graduated from Harvard University in 1898. He was with the Walter Baker chocolate company in hometown until 1905. He moved to American Trust Company in Boston and then to National Commercial Bank in Albany, New York where he was president in 1912 and 1914 when he moved to National City Bank as a vice president.

He served in France during World War I. After the war he joined Montgomery & Co. In 1921 he was elected president of Farmers' Loan and Trust Company. Farmers merged with National City Bank in 1929 and he became president of the new bank. He became chairman in 1933. In attempts to keep the bank afloat during the Great Depression par value was cut by 40 percent and $50 million in preferred stock was sold to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

He died of a heart attack while still chairman shortly after having dinner with Arthur M. Anderson in Mount Kisco, New York.