Tom B. Coughran
Tom B. Coughran | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | October 2, 1993 (aged 87) |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, government official, military officer |
| Known for | Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs; Executive Director of the World Bank and IMF; Executive Vice President and CEO of Bank of America International |
Tom B. Coughran (March 18, 1906 – October 2, 1993) was a prominent American figure in banking, military service, and government roles. After completing his education at Visalia High School in 1923, he obtained a degree in economics from Stanford University in 1927. He began his banking career at the First National Bank of Exeter, California. When this bank was absorbed by Bank of America, Coughran swiftly rose through the ranks, overseeing the Exeter branch by 1932 and later the Monterey branch in 1941.
In 1942, Coughran joined the U.S. Army, where he trained at the Army Finance School located at Fort Benjamin Harrison. His military service included assignments at the Office of the Chief of Army Finance in Washington, D.C., and later with the G-5 Civil Affairs Division under the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe. His postings took him to London, Paris, and Hochst near Frankfurt. He concluded his military career as a lieutenant colonel in March 1946.
After World War II, Coughran returned to Bank of America and took charge of the Oakland branch before being appointed head of the newly established International Banking Department in San Francisco. He was instrumental in broadening Bank of America’s operations throughout the Far East region, including countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Nationalist China, and Japan.
In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower named him Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs. Later that year, he assumed the position of Executive Director for both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. During his tenure at the Treasury Department, he actively participated in international economic negotiations, including NATO meetings, a fact-finding mission in Central America, and initiatives that contributed to the creation of the International Development Association.
Coughran rejoined Bank of America in 1959 as Executive Vice President and CEO of Bank of America, International, a fully owned subsidiary. Between 1966 and 1968, he served as chairman of the Business Advisory Council to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Additionally, he was a co-founder of the World Banking Corporation, which later became WOBACO in 1971.
He stepped down from his role at Bank of America in 1971 and retired from WOBACO five years later in 1976. Subsequently, he relocated with his wife to the Washington, D.C. area where he resided until his passing in 1993.
External links
- [1] Papers of Tom B. Coughran, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library