George Wilbur Spinney
George Wilbur Spinney | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 3, 1889 Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | February 1, 1948 (aged 58) |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | President of the Bank of Montreal; Chairman of the National War Finance Committee |
George Wilbur Spinney (April 3, 1889 – February 1, 1948) was a prominent Canadian banker who held the position of president at the Bank of Montreal from December 1942 until his passing in 1948. Additionally, he led the National War Finance Committee as its chairman from its inception in 1941 until 1943, subsequently assuming the role of honorary chairman.
Life and career
Spinney was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on April 3, 1889. After completing high school, he began his career at the Bank of Montreal and progressed through multiple positions within the institution. In 1915, he was appointed secretary to General Manager Sir Frederick Williams-Taylor. By 1922, Spinney had established the bank’s securities division and, six years later, oversaw branch operations across Quebec, the Maritimes, and Newfoundland. In 1936, he became joint general manager alongside Jackson Dodds.
Following the death of Defense Minister Norman Rogers in 1940, Prime Minister Mackenzie King extended an invitation to Spinney to serve as Minister of Finance. Spinney declined the offer but pledged his assistance in other capacities. In April 1941, Finance Minister J.L. Ilsley named him chairman of the first "Victory Loan" campaign aimed at raising $600 million to support the war effort. The campaign surpassed its target but revealed the necessity for a permanent fundraising organization. Consequently, the National War Finance Committee was formed in January 1942 with Spinney as chair. During his tenure, four Victory Loan drives collectively raised more than $4 billion before he stepped down in April 1943 and was succeeded by Graham Towers.
Outside his banking career, Spinney served as president and governor of Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital, held a governorship at McGill University, and participated on the boards of leading Canadian companies such as Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company (later known as Cominco), International Nickel Company of Canada, Steel Company of Canada, and Sun Life Assurance Company. He was honored with an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree from Acadia University in 1942 and was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1943.
Spinney married Martha Maud Ramsay in 1916, and they had three children: Wilbur (born 1918), Ruth (born 1920), and Martha (born 1928). From 1937 until his death, the family resided at 1 Braeside Place (currently part of The Study). During World War II, Wilbur served as a gunnery officer in the Royal Canadian Navy but tragically died from wounds sustained shortly after V-E Day.