Orion H. Cheney
Orion Howard Cheney | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Bloomington, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 1939 (aged 69) Patterson, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, banking executive |
| Years active | 1897–1939 |
| Known for | Superintendent of Banks of New York, president of Pacific Bank, vice president of American Exchange-Pacific National Bank |
Orion Howard Cheney (January 23, 1869 – January 17, 1939) was a distinguished American attorney and banking executive operating primarily in New York.
Life
Cheney was born in Bloomington, Illinois to parents Lewis H. Cheney and Mary Elizabeth West. He pursued higher education at Drake University followed by the University of Michigan, before relocating to New York City in 1892. There, he gained experience at Garfield National Bank until 1903, an institution led by his uncle, Alfred C. Cheney. Concurrently, he attended New York University School of Law, graduating as class president in 1897 and gaining admission to the bar that same year. His legal practice focused on banking law, serving as senior partner at Cheney, Schenck & Stockell from 1903 through 1908.
A founding member of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Banking, Cheney was appointed Second Deputy Superintendent of Banking in 1908 by Superintendent Clark Williams. The following year, Governor Charles Evans Hughes named him Superintendent of Banks, a role he fulfilled until 1911. Subsequently, he assumed the presidency of Pacific Bank for fourteen years and later acted as vice president of the American Exchange-Pacific National Bank during 1925–1926. After the institution merged with Irving Bank and Trust Company in 1926, Cheney remained vice president until gradually stepping back from active banking duties in 1930. Despite semi-retirement, he continued to contribute occasionally, notably aiding the 1933 restructuring of Mount Vernon Trust Company.
Around 1919, Cheney moved to Scarsdale, New York, later settling in Patterson, New York in 1935. From its inception in 1920 until his passing, he served as vice president and director of Scarsdale National Bank and Trust Company. His leadership extended to roles within the Scarsdale Improvement Corporation, Parkway organization, and the local board of education, where he was president between 1924 and 1930. He also founded and presided over the Scarsdale Foundation from 1923 to 1935 and held a directorship at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. Cheney authored numerous business-oriented articles for outlets such as The Saturday Evening Post and Nation Business, including an extensive analysis of the book industry published in 1930. In collaboration with notable individuals like Newton D. Baker, he co-established the Religious Education Foundation in 1928 and remained its president until his death.
His affiliations encompassed membership in the Union League Club, Manhattan Club, Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity, Economic Club of New York, New York City Bar Association, and New York State Bar Association. In 1909, he married Margaret Danforth; together they had twin sons named Ward D. and Lewis W.
Cheney passed away at his Cornwall Hill Farm home located in Patterson on January 17, 1939. He was laid to rest at Ferncliff Mausoleum in Hartsdale, New York.