Rev. William Washington Browne

In honor of Black History Month, we want to celebrate Rev. William Washington Browne, who founded the first Black-owned and operated financial institution in the United States.

Rev. Brown was born a slave in 1849, fought for the Union Army during the Civil War, and opened The Savings Bank of the Grand Fountain of the United Order of True Reformers in 1888 in Richmond Virginia. The bank was a success and one of the only financial institutions to survive the 1893 economic depression. For more information on Rev. William Washington Browne visit: http://fin-ed.info/3u5pNdv