Andrew Mellon

Andrew Mellon
Andrew Mellon
Born	Andrew William Mellon; Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	26 August 1937 (aged 82)
Occupation(s)	Banker, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector, politician
Years active	1873–1932
Known for	United States Secretary of the Treasury (1921–1932), Mellon National Bank founder, Union Trust Company founder

Andrew William Mellon (March 24, 1855 – August 26, 1937), often referred to as A. W. Mellon, was a prominent American figure known for his roles as a banker, industrial magnate, philanthropist, art enthusiast, and political leader. As the son of Thomas Mellon, the founding patriarch of the Mellon family, he developed an extensive business empire prior to his political career. Mellon held the position of United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 until 1932, navigating the economic prosperity of the 1920s as well as the financial collapse of 1929. A staunch conservative and member of the Republican Party, he advocated for tax cuts and reduction of national debt following World War I. Additionally, he played a key role in financing and managing Pennsylvania's Kennywood Park.

Mellon's professional journey commenced at his father's banking institution in Pittsburgh, T. Mellon & Sons, where he eventually assumed leadership and rebranded it as Mellon National Bank. In 1889, he established the Union Trust Company in Pittsburgh. By 1913, Mellon National Bank had become the city’s largest depository institution, while Union Trust ranked second in size locally. His portfolio encompassed significant stakes in corporations such as Alcoa, New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Old Overholt whiskey, Standard Steel Car Company, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Koppers, Pittsburgh Coal Company, Carborundum Company, Union Steel Company, McClintic-Marshall Construction Company, and Gulf Oil. Throughout the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, he was a major financial backer of the Republican Party.

In 1921, President Warren G. Harding appointed Mellon as Treasury Secretary; he continued to serve under Harding’s successors Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. Mellon's postwar fiscal policies focused on lowering taxes for high-income earners to encourage investment and boost government revenue—a principle fully implemented with the passage of the Revenue Act of 1926. During his tenure, the national debt saw a marked reduction throughout the 1920s. His political clout reached its zenith during Coolidge’s administration; journalist William Allen White famously termed this period "the reign of Coolidge and Mellon."

Following the stock market crash of 1929 and the onset of the Great Depression, Mellon's standing diminished. Although he supported President Hoover’s initiatives to revive the economy, he opposed direct federal intervention. Amid congressional impeachment threats, Hoover appointed him as United States ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1932. After Roosevelt defeated Hoover in the presidential election, Mellon withdrew from public office. Beginning in 1933, a federal investigation into tax fraud culminated in a prominent legal case settled by substantial payments from Mellon's estate. Prior to his passing in 1937, Mellon contributed significantly to founding cultural institutions such as the National Gallery of Art, Carnegie Mellon University, and the National Portrait Gallery.

Early life

Mellon’s paternal ancestors were Ulster Scots who emigrated from County Tyrone, Ireland to America in 1818. Settling with their son, Thomas Mellon, in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, they laid roots that would influence future generations. Thomas Mellon established a thriving law practice in Pittsburgh and married Sarah Jane Negley, an heiress descended from early settlers of Pittsburgh. As a prosperous landowner and Republican Party leader, Thomas was elected to Pennsylvania’s court of common pleas in 1859. He constructed a private schoolhouse for his children’s education, where Andrew began attending at age five.

In 1869, after stepping down from his judicial role, Thomas founded T. Mellon & Sons bank in Pittsburgh. Andrew joined the enterprise early on while attending Western University of Pennsylvania (which later became the University of Pittsburgh), although he did not complete his degree. After brief stints working in lumber and coal industries, Andrew committed full-time to T. Mellon & Sons by 1873. Despite challenges posed by the economic downturn known as the Panic of 1873, Andrew played a pivotal role in quickly restoring the bank’s deposits back to their pre-panic levels by late 1874.

Business career, 1873–1898

Andrew Mellon’s responsibilities at T. Mellon & Sons expanded swiftly; by 1876, he held power of attorney to manage the bank’s affairs. That same year, Thomas introduced him to industrial magnate Henry Clay Frick, who became a vital business partner. In 1882, Thomas handed over complete ownership of the bank to Andrew but stayed involved in its operations. By 1887, Mellon's brother Richard B. Mellon joined as co-owner and vice president.

Throughout the 1880s, Mellon broadened the bank’s scope and diversified into industrial ventures. Together with Frick, he acquired control of the Pittsburgh National Bank of Commerce and played a key role in founding several financial institutions including Union Insurance Company, City Deposit Bank, Fidelity Title and Trust Company, and Union Trust Company. He also served as director of the Pittsburgh Petroleum Exchange and co-established natural gas enterprises managing 35,000 acres of gas reserves. In both 1890 and 1894, Thomas transferred substantial assets to Andrew for oversight. Despite this expansion, T. Mellon & Sons remained relatively small, employing only seven people by 1895.

In 1889, Mellon provided a $25,000 loan to the Pittsburgh Reduction Company to support pioneering aluminum production efforts; he joined its board in 1891. Alongside Richard Mellon, he helped develop aluminum manufacturing plants in New Kensington and Niagara Falls; this initiative eventually transformed into Alcoa by 1907 and became highly lucrative. The Mellons also ventured into oil with Crescent Oil Company and related enterprises that produced about 10% of U.S. oil exports by 1894 before divesting these holdings to Standard Oil during the Panic of 1893. Concurrently, Andrew and Richard invested in the Carborundum Company (a silicon carbide producer), gaining majority control by 1898 and replacing its founder with Frank W. Haskell. Additionally, Mellon held mining interests as vice president of Trade Dollar Consolidated Mining Company.

Mellon maintained a strong business and social alliance with Frick; both were members of exclusive clubs such as the Duquesne Club and South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. The latter constructed South Fork Dam which catastrophically failed in 1889, causing the deadly Johnstown Flood. Although Mellon did not publicly comment on the tragedy, he donated $1,000 toward relief efforts; legal defenses led by attorney Philander C. Knox ultimately cleared the club of responsibility.

Business career, 1898–1920

By the late 1890s, Mellon had accumulated considerable wealth, though it was less than that of contemporaries like John D. Rockefeller. The Union Trust Company emerged as one of Mellon's most valuable and profitable assets after expanding its commercial banking operations. Using capital from Union Trust, Mellon financed National Glass and other firms, co-owned McClintic-Marshall Construction, and founded Crucible Steel along with the Pittsburgh Coal Company and Monongahela River Coal Company, collectively accounting for 11% of U.S. coal production. Together with Frick, Richard Mellon, and William Donner, he co-founded Union Steel Company specializing in nails and barbed wire. Despite Frick’s estrangement from Andrew Carnegie, Mellon secured Carnegie’s endorsement to enter the steel industry. In response to naval expansion following the Spanish–American War, Mellon and Frick became significant shareholders in New York Shipbuilding Corporation.

In 1902, Mellon restructured T. Mellon & Sons into Mellon National Bank under a federal charter. Andrew Mellon, Richard Mellon, and Frick jointly controlled Union Trust Company, which in turn managed Mellon National Bank. They also established Union Savings Bank which pioneered mail deposit services; these institutions thrived during the early twentieth century. Mellon's investments in Pittsburgh’s streetcar system, Union Steel (later acquired by U.S. Steel), and Carborundum Company yielded strong returns. He collaborated with former U.S. Steel executives to form Standard Steel Car Company. During the Texas oil boom, the Mellons assisted J. M. Guffey in founding the Guffey Company; after ousting Guffey, they reorganized it as Gulf Oil in 1907 with William Larimer Mellon Sr. appointed as president.

Historian David Cannadine characterized Mellon as "the single most significant individual in the economic life and progress of western Pennsylvania" during the early twentieth century.

The Panic of 1907 severely impacted Pittsburgh businesses, ending a period of expansion. Although some Mellon investments declined temporarily, most rebounded swiftly. He invested in George Westinghouse's Westinghouse Electric Corporation after aiding its financial recovery. By 1913, Mellon National Bank led Pittsburgh banks in deposit volume; Farmer's Deposit National Bank ranked second under Mellon's Union Trust control. In 1914, Mellon became co-owner of Koppers, advancing coking oven technology beyond Frick's designs. He also held board positions with entities such as the Pennsylvania Railroad and American Locomotive Company. During World War I financing efforts, Union Trust and other Mellon affiliates extended millions in loans to Britain and France; Mellon personally purchased substantial amounts of Liberty bonds.

Old Overholt whiskey

In 1887, Andrew Mellon, along with Frick and Richard Mellon, acquired the well-known Old Overholt whiskey distillery located in West Overton, Pennsylvania. At that period, Old Overholt ranked among the largest and most esteemed whiskey manufacturers in the United States. By 1907, as the movement for prohibition intensified, Frick and Mellon withdrew their names from the distilling license while maintaining ownership of the business. It is believed that Mellon's connections within the Treasury Department facilitated obtaining a medicinal permit during Prohibition, which permitted the sale of existing whiskey inventories to pharmacists for medicinal purposes. Upon Frick’s death in 1919, his share was bequeathed to Mellon, who eventually sold his interest in 1925 to a grocer from New York due to pressure from prohibition advocates.

Early involvement in politics

Following his father’s lead, Mellon consistently supported the Republican Party and frequently contributed financially to state and local party officials. Through party leader Matthew Quay, he exerted influence over legislators to enact high tariffs on aluminum products via the McKinley Tariff of 1890. Mellon was opposed to Progressive Era antitrust measures pursued by Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, notably resisting Taft's investigations into Alcoa which concluded with a consent decree in 1912. After World War I, he provided financial backing to Republicans such as Henry Cabot Lodge in efforts to prevent ratification of the Treaty of Versailles. At the 1920 Republican National Convention, Mellon initially supported Pennsylvania Governor William Cameron Sproul but ultimately endorsed Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding, playing a significant role as a fundraiser for Harding’s victorious presidential campaign.

Harding administration

Following Harding’s victory in the 1920 presidential election, Andrew Mellon was appointed Secretary of the Treasury. His selection was favored by banking interests and Pennsylvania Republican leaders despite his initial hesitation due to concerns about privacy and his business commitments. Mellon accepted the position in February 1921 and received swift confirmation by the United States Senate. His appointment reflected Harding’s alignment with special interest groups, attracting criticism from political opponents. Mellon divested from banking stocks but kept other investments intact, remaining engaged in his enterprises and lobbying Congress throughout his tenure. His personal wealth increased significantly during this period; in fact, during the 1920s he paid more federal income tax than most individuals except for Rockefeller and Ford.

As Treasury Secretary, Mellon's primary focus was on balancing the federal budget and repaying debts incurred during World War I amid the Depression of 1920–21. He placed less emphasis on unemployment or international matters. Although he enforced Prohibition laws—which he personally opposed—his central agenda was reforming the federal tax system. The income tax structure had expanded considerably during World War I, and Mellon aimed to revise it to promote economic growth while preserving government revenue.

Mellon championed a progressive income tax system as a vital revenue source but sought reductions in surtaxes imposed on high-income earners to reduce tax avoidance and encourage investment in industrial equities rather than tax-exempt bonds. This strategy, referred to as "scientific taxation," intended to maximize government receipts with minimal adverse effects on businesses. Developed alongside former Wilson administration officials Leffingwell and Gilbert, it became popularly known as the "Mellon Plan."

The Revenue Act of 1918 had established a top marginal tax rate of 73% alongside corporate taxes near 10%, maintaining war debts that totaled $24 billion by 1921. Mellon's proposals culminated in the Revenue Act of 1921, which increased personal exemptions and lowered the highest tax rate to 58%. However, this compromise fell short of Mellon's expectations due to opposition within the Senate. He also resisted a congressional "Bonus Bill" intended for World War I veterans out of concern it would impede debt reduction efforts; Harding vetoed this legislation with Mellon's support.

Coolidge administration

During the economic upswing of the Roaring Twenties, Mellon emerged as a key figure within the Harding administration. One legislator even described him as the "most outstanding Secretary of the Treasury since Alexander Hamilton". After President Harding's passing in 1923, Vice President Calvin Coolidge assumed office. Mellon developed a closer working relationship with Coolidge, who shared his enthusiasm for additional tax reductions. Journalist William Allen White observed that Mellon's influence was so significant that the era could be aptly termed the joint leadership of Coolidge and Mellon.

Together with Coolidge, business leaders, and supportive administration members, Mellon sought to rally congressional backing for his tax reform proposals. However, the 68th Congress was dominated by Democrats and progressive Republicans. In February 1924, the House Ways and Means Committee endorsed legislation reflecting Mellon's ideas, but a coalition led by Democrat John Nance Garner passed an alternative bill that lowered income taxes while setting the highest rate at 46%, exceeding Mellon's preferred 33%. President Coolidge signed into law the Revenue Act of 1924, which incorporated Garner’s rates and increased estate taxes, yet he continued to advocate for further reductions. Congress declined Mellon's suggested amendment to prohibit tax-exempt securities and overrode Coolidge’s veto to provide bonuses to World War I veterans. Nonetheless, Mellon succeeded in establishing the Board of Tax Appeals to adjudicate disputes between taxpayers and the government.

Although initially intending to retire after a single term, Mellon remained in office to ensure his tax reforms were fully implemented. During the 1924 election, Republicans campaigned on promises of additional tax cuts, while Democrats and third-party candidate Robert La Follette criticized Mellon's policies as disproportionately benefiting wealthy individuals. Despite earlier controversies, Coolidge secured a decisive victory and interpreted it as public endorsement for continuing tax reductions.

Post-election, Congress advanced efforts to further reduce top tax brackets. The Revenue Act of 1926, signed by Coolidge in February, lowered the highest marginal rate to 25%, closely mirroring Mellon's recommendations. The legislation also increased personal exemptions, eliminated the gift tax, reduced estate taxes, and repealed mandatory income tax return disclosures. The thriving economy produced a $400 million budget surplus in 1926 and lowered national debt from $24 billion in 1921 to $19.6 billion by the end of that fiscal year. Revenue growth under Mellon's framework was largely driven by higher-income taxpayers.

With much of his tax reform agenda realized, Mellon gradually delegated Treasury oversight to his deputy, Ogden L. Mills. Following the 1926 elections, Mellon and Mills pursued corporate tax reductions and sought repeal of estate taxes; while the Revenue Act of 1928 cut corporate levies, it left estate taxes intact. Mellon also championed federal construction initiatives, particularly within the Federal Triangle. In 1928, he reflected on the unprecedented prosperity and elevated living standards prevailing in the United States.

Although foreign policy was primarily handled by the State Department and financial leaders such as Benjamin Strong Jr., Mellon played a role in shaping international monetary matters. He opposed canceling European World War I debts but recognized Britain's need for debt renegotiation; in 1923, he negotiated a repayment arrangement with British Chancellor Stanley Baldwin extending over 62 years. Following the implementation of the Dawes Plan, Mellon facilitated debt agreements with other European countries, including the Mellon-Berenger Agreement with France that reduced its obligations and established repayment conditions.

1928 election

Coolidge's surprising choice in 1927 to forgo another presidential term elevated Hoover as the frontrunner for the 1928 presidential race. Nevertheless, conservative factions within the party, particularly those aligned with Mellon—who commanded Pennsylvania’s delegation and held significant sway nationally—presented obstacles. Mellon harbored doubts about Hoover, fearing potential changes to his tax policies, and contemplated a candidacy himself but ultimately declined due to his age. After unsuccessful attempts to convince Coolidge or Hughes to enter the race, Mellon eventually threw his support behind Hoover, facilitating his nomination and eventual triumph over Al Smith. Contrary to expectations of retirement, Mellon retained his role as Secretary of the Treasury, joining a rare group of officials who served under three successive presidents.

Great Depression

Mellon played a key role in persuading the Federal Reserve Board to reduce interest rates during the early 1920s, which spurred economic expansion but also encouraged speculative activity in the stock market. In response to concerns about this speculation, the Fed increased rates in 1928 and again in 1929—moves that Mellon backed despite their inability to halt speculative excesses. The stock market crash of 1929 ("Black Tuesday") did not immediately affect most Americans but signaled the onset of economic downturn. Mellon opposed interventionist measures but supported lowering discount rates and implementing temporary tax cuts. He advocated for asset liquidation as a means to restore budget balance, even at the cost of shutting down industries.

By mid-1930, Mellon believed the worst phase had passed and did not object to the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act’s substantial tariff increases. However, by late 1930, the economy had fallen into a severe recession marked by soaring unemployment and numerous bank failures. Mellon's standing declined further due to his resistance to veterans’ bonus payments. In 1931, he negotiated a suspension on German debt repayments and helped create the National Credit Association aimed at aiding struggling banks; when this proved ineffective, it was replaced by the federally backed Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

With unemployment approaching twenty percent, Mellon became one of the least popular figures in the United States, second only to Hoover himself. He advocated for limited government interference, regarding economic downturns as necessary corrections to eliminate inefficiencies—a perspective he expressed while advising Hoover to "liquidate" various sectors to facilitate recovery.

Confronted with budget deficits, Mellon and Mills pushed for tax rates to revert to their 1924 levels along with new excise taxes; Congress approved these changes through the Revenue Act of 1932. Early in 1932, Congressman Wright Patman initiated impeachment proceedings against Mellon over alleged conflicts of interest. As Mellon's influence diminished, Hoover appointed him ambassador to the United Kingdom, with Mills succeeding him as Treasury Secretary.

Upon arriving in Britain in April 1932, Mellon witnessed the disintegration of international economic agreements he had helped establish and secured British consent for Gulf Oil’s operations in Kuwait. Despite these efforts, Hoover was defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 election. Mellon departed office alongside Hoover in March 1933 and returned to private life after twelve years in public service.

Pennsylvania politics, 1921–1933

Following the deaths of Knox and Penrose in 1921, Andrew Mellon and his nephew William Larimer Mellon emerged as prominent leaders within Pennsylvania's Republican sphere, backing the successful Senate campaigns of David A. Reed and George W. Pepper in 1922. While Mellon never achieved the same dominance over state politics that Penrose once held, he maintained considerable sway in senatorial contests and throughout Allegheny County during the 1920s. His political authority encountered opposition from Philadelphia's William Scott Vare and the progressive Governor Gifford Pinchot, who secured the governorship in 1922. By the early 1930s, Mellon's influence waned as allies of Pinchot gained control of the state Republican Party.

Later days

Although numerous financial institutions collapsed prior to Roosevelt’s inauguration, Mellon National Bank, Union Trust Company, and Mellbank Corporation remained solvent and operational. Mellon was a vocal critic of Roosevelt’s New Deal, particularly opposing the 1933 Banking Act which enforced a separation between commercial and investment banking. He regarded New Deal initiatives—including Social Security, unemployment benefits, regulations on utilities and coal mining, labor union legislation, as well as heightened taxes introduced by the Revenue Act of 1934 and Revenue Act of 1935—as dangers to the free market foundations essential to the American economy.

After stepping down from public office, Mellon became a target of negative public opinion; Harvey O'Connor’s 1933 biography Mellon's Millions cast him in an unfavorable light. The Democratic Party gained control in Allegheny County by 1933, with Democrat Joseph F. Guffey winning a Senate seat for Pennsylvania and George Howard Earle III being elected governor in 1934. Due to his declining popularity in Pittsburgh, Mellon spent much of his later life residing primarily in Washington.

Throughout the 1930s, Roosevelt’s administration pursued prominent tax evasion investigations involving individuals such as Thomas W. Lamont and Jimmy Walker. After Republican Congressman Louis Thomas McFadden accused Mellon of tax improprieties, Attorney General Homer Cummings initiated an inquiry into Mellon's tax records. Between 1935 and 1936, a highly publicized case before the Board of Tax Appeals accused Mellon of tax fraud; during these proceedings, he disclosed previously undisclosed details about his business activities.

In November 1936, Mellon was diagnosed with cancer, leading to a decline in his health until his death on August 26, 1937. His passing drew significant attention; Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau Jr. described him as a central figure in the industrial and financial development of the United States. Several months later, the Board of Tax Appeals exonerated Mellon from all tax fraud allegations.

Personal life

During the early 1880s, Mellon was involved in a serious relationship with Fannie Larimer Jones but ended it after discovering she had tuberculosis. Following this, he refrained from pursuing romantic relationships for several years. In 1898, while traveling with Frick, Mellon encountered Nora McMullen, a nineteen-year-old Englishwoman. After visiting her family at Hertford Castle and courting her, they married in 1900. Nora gave birth to their daughter Ailsa in 1901. Dissatisfied with life in Pittsburgh and their marriage, Nora began an affair by 1903 but reconciled with Mellon and had their son Paul in 1907. This reconciliation was short-lived; Nora resumed her affair and sought divorce in 1909. To prevent scandal, Mellon consented to separation and influenced Pennsylvania legislation in 1911 that permitted private divorce proceedings. Despite Nora’s public resistance and appeals abroad, the divorce was finalized on Mellon's terms in 1912.

Mellon never remarried. Nora remained in Pittsburgh before moving to the Hudson Valley, with their children dividing time between both residences. In 1923, she wed British antiques dealer Harvey Arthur Lee; following their divorce in 1928, she resumed using the Mellon surname at her son Paul's request. During Mellon's tenure as Treasury Secretary in the 1920s, Ailsa attracted attention from notable suitors and married David K. E. Bruce at a prominent Washington social event in 1926. Paul attended Yale University and Cambridge University before briefly working at Mellon National Bank; he later became a distinguished philanthropist based in Virginia. Mellon's nephew, Richard King Mellon, succeeded him as leader of the Mellon financial enterprises.

Philanthropy and Art Collection

Mirroring his father's approach, Mellon initially refrained from extensive charitable activities but began contributing to community organizations such as the YMCA in the early 20th century. In 1913, together with his brother Richard, he established the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research at the University of Pittsburgh; this institution later combined with Carnegie Institute of Technology, resulting in the creation of Carnegie Mellon University in 1967. Mellon also held positions as both alumni president and trustee at the University of Pittsburgh, where his donations exceeded $43 million, including land designated for the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Chapel.

Inspired by Henry Clay Frick and guided by Charles Carstairs, Mellon embarked on assembling an art collection starting in the late 1890s. Over several decades, he procured artworks through prominent dealers such as Knoedler and Joseph Duveen, culminating in one of Washington’s most distinguished collections by the 1920s. During the early 1930s, Mellon acquired twenty-one significant paintings from the Soviet Union’s Hermitage Museum amid their art sales; these works were ultimately gifted to the National Gallery of Art.

Mellon envisioned founding a national art museum in Washington modeled after London’s National Gallery. In 1936, he proposed to President Roosevelt his collection along with an endowment to create such an institution, requesting government support for operational costs and a board predominantly appointed by Mellon himself. Despite facing ongoing tax disputes, the administration accepted his offer, and Congress approved construction. The National Gallery of Art’s West Building opened its doors in 1941. Mellon's descendants, Paul Mellon and Alissa Mellon Bruce, became significant benefactors; together with the Mellon Foundation, they financed the East Building, which debuted in 1978. Additionally, Mellon's associate David E. Finley Jr. played a key role in founding the National Portrait Gallery, which houses paintings donated by Mellon.

Mellon was a member of the Scottish Rite Freemasons and achieved its highest honor—the 33rd degree.

Memorials

The Andrew W. Mellon Memorial Fountain, sculpted by Sidney Waugh, was unveiled in Washington, D.C., in May 1952 by President Harry S. Truman. The city also honors him through landmarks such as the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium and the Andrew Mellon Building. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, named after him and formed by merging the Avalon and Old Dominion Foundations established by his children, continues his philanthropic legacy. Moreover, a 378-foot vessel named US Coast Guard Cutter Mellon (WHEC-717)) commemorates his name.

In Popular Culture

In HBO’s drama series Boardwalk Empire, Andrew W. Mellon is depicted as Secretary of the Treasury during its third season, portrayed by actor James Cromwell, who is himself an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon.

In S. M. Stirling's alternate history narrative "A Slip in Time," which imagines a world without World War I where the Austro-Hungarian Empire persists, Mellon is portrayed as serving as U.S. President in 1926.

Mellon’s influence is critically analyzed in Matt Stoller’s 2019 publication Goliath: The 100 Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy, which explores populist efforts led by figures such as Congressman Wright Patman, Roosevelt administration lawyer Robert H. Jackson, and Senate Banking Committee counsel Ferdinand Pecora to challenge what they considered Mellon's misuse of power for personal benefit.

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