John J. Mitchell (banker)
John J. Mitchell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Alton, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | October 29, 1927 (aged 73) Libertyville, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, banker |
| Known for | President of Illinois Trust and Savings Bank; president of Illinois Merchants Trust Company |
John James Mitchell (1853–1927) was a prominent American financier who served as president of the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank and later the Illinois Merchants Trust Company.
Biography
John J. Mitchell was born on November 3, 1853, in Alton, Illinois, the son of banker William Hamilton Mitchell (1817–1910). Beginning his career in 1873 as a messenger boy at his father's Trust & Savings Bank, he advanced to become its president from 1880 until 1923. Following this, he led the institution's successor, the Illinois Merchants Trust Company, until his passing in 1927.
In 1890, he wed Mary Louise Jewett, and together they had five children. Their eldest son took over leadership of Continental Illinois National Bank and later held a directorship at Texaco, a leading oil corporation. In 1918, this son married Chicago socialite Ginevra King, who was reputedly the model for Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby.
His younger son, banker John J. "Jack" Mitchell, united in marriage with Lolita Armour, daughter of industrialist J. Ogden Armour, in 1920 at their estate located in affluent Lake Forest, Illinois. By the year 1926, the Mitchell family's wealth was estimated to be over $120 million ().
Additionally, his half-sister Hortense Lenore Mitchell (1871–1962) was married to British architect and art collector Arthur Acton.
John J. Mitchell passed away on October 29, 1927, in Libertyville, Illinois, succumbing to injuries from a car accident that also claimed his wife's life. He was interred at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago.