Winthrop H. Smith

This article is about the early member of Merrill Lynch, active in from 1916-1958. For his son, see Winthrop H. Smith Jr.
Winthrop H. Smith
Winthrop H. Smith in 1956
Born Winthrop Hiram Smith
1893
South Hadley, Massachusetts
Died January 10, 1961
Litchfield, Connecticut
Residence East 72nd Street
Litchfield, Connecticut
Other names Win
Education Amherst College (1916)
Phillips Academy (1912)
Occupation Brokerage
Employer Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

Winthrop Hiram Smith (June 30, 1893 – January 10, 1961), also known as Win Smith, was an American businessman and investment banker. He was notable as a name partner of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith.

Biography

He was born on June 30, 1893 in South Hadley, Massachusetts. He was educated at Phillips Academy and graduated from Amherst College in 1916.[1]

Upon graduation from Amherst, Smith joined Merrill Lynch & Co. in 1916, just two years after the firm's predecessor Charles E. Merrill & Co. was founded.[2] Smith, who began as a junior runner and clerk at Merrill, was groomed by founder Charles E. Merrill, who also was an Amherst alumnus.[1]

Smith's career would span more than four decades as he would ultimately serve as directing partner of the firm. In 1940 and 1941, Smith was an architect of Merill's transformative mergers including E.A. Pierce & Co. and Cassatt & Co. in 1940 followed by the acquisition of Fenner & Beane in 1941.[1] Smith is often credited with having implemented Charles E. Merrill's strategy of bringing Wall Street to Main Street and received both respect and affection from his colleagues in the industry and at his firm.[3]

In 1958, Smith handed over day-to-day control of the firm, at the time known as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane. In recognition of his role in building Merrill into a leading national brokerage, Smith's name was added to that of the firm becoming Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith.[1] Smith's name replaced that of Alpheus Beane's who firm Fenner & Beane had merged with Merrill in 1941.

Smith is the father of Winthrop H. Smith Jr. a former Merrill Lynch executive.

He died on January 10, 1961 in Litchfield, Connecticut.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 WALL STREET: S. for B. TIME Magazine, Jan. 13, 1958
  2. ↑ Q&A: Win Smith, Sugarbush Resort. Vermont Business Magazine, Mar 01, 2006
  3. ↑ Co-leaders: the power of great partnerships. John Wiley and Sons, 1999
  4. ↑ "Winthrop Smith, Broker, 67, Dead". New York Times. January 11, 1961. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
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