Joseph A. Erickson
Joseph Austin Erickson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 14, 1983 (aged 87) Wrentham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Banking official |
| Known for | President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (1948–1961) |
Joseph Austin Erickson (born January 8, 1896 – died March 14, 1983) was a prominent American banking official who held the position of president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1948 until 1961.
Early life
Born in Lynn, Massachusetts to Emil Svante Erickson and Anna (Jacobson) Erickson, Erickson completed his secondary education at Lynn Classical High School. To finance his studies at Harvard College, he took on various jobs. In 1917, he paused his college education to enroll in the First Officers Training Camp located in Plattsburgh, New York. During World War I, he served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps and participated with the American Commission to Negotiate Peace. Following the war, Erickson returned to Harvard where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree and pursued one year of study at Harvard Business School.
Career
Erickson began his banking career in 1920 as a clerk at Shawmut Bank. By 1925, he was overseeing both the credit department and the Arlington Street branch. His advancement continued with promotions to vice president in 1928 and executive vice president in 1942, placing him third in seniority within the institution. In 1948, he assumed the presidency of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, a role he fulfilled for twelve years, marking the second-longest term held by any president there.
Additionally, Erickson served as president of the New England Council and held board positions at various corporations such as Boston Edison, underscoring his significant role in the region’s business and financial sectors.
Personal life
Erickson was married to Esther Reece Stevens, with whom he had three children. He resided for many years in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts before spending his final period in an assisted living center in Wrentham, Massachusetts, where he passed away on March 14, 1983.