Nathalie Schenck Laimbeer

Background

Nathalie Schenck Laimbeer was born in New York City, the daughter of Spotswood and Effie (Morgan) Schenck.

Career

Her interest was first aroused in finance, she said, when as a child she accompanied her grandmother to the bank. Sometimes she was permitted to clip coupons from bright orange bonds, and she then determined that her first purchase would be securities of similar color.

During the Spanish-American War, when she was but fifteen, she collected $25, 000 in dimes for the American Red Cross for the construction of an ice plant in Cuba. She did not prepare for a business career, however, and for many years devoted her abilities entirely to social and charitable enterprises. After an automobile accident with her husband on Long Island in 1913, she was for some time a semi-invalid.

Her first outstanding public work was done as a volunteer in the United States Food Administration during World War I, when she assisted in devising plans for the canning and conservation of food. Following in the line of this experience, in November 1918, she became manager of the Bureau of Home Economics of the New York Edison Company, giving many lectures and demonstrations at various colleges and schools.

In 1919, she entered upon her banking career as manager of the women's department of the United States Mortgage & Trust Company. Less than a year later she was appointed assistant secretary of that organization in charge of those Manhattan branches which were organizing women's departments. She was called to the National City Bank of New York in 1925 as assistant cashier. As head of the women's department, until poor health forced her to retire in 1926, she became nationally known as a banker of ability and sound judgment.

From January 1928 to July 1929 she was editor of the department on finance of the Delineator, and she contributed many articles on finance to the New York World and other papers. She was one of the founders of the Association of Bank Women, served as its national vice-president from 1921 to 1923, and was elected to the presidency for the three years following. Mrs. Laimbeer died in New York, as a result of acute cardiac dilatation, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Achievements

• Nathalie Schenck Laimbeer was known as the first woman hired by National City Bank of New York to be given title of assistant cashier. She was also co-founder and president of the Association of Bank Women. In this office she made, it is said, a definite contribution to the cause of bank women, securing for them recognition as an integral part of the banking profession. Coincident with, and perhaps owing to, her work in the Association of Bank Women, came a change in the conception of banks: heretofore considered as credit institutions primarily, they came to be regarded as organized agencies for public service, and women's departments increased in number and effectiveness.

Connections

Nathalie was married in 1904 to Captain Charles Collins of the British Army, by whom she had one son and from whom she was later divorced. In 1909 she married William Laimbeer of New York, and to them two daughters were born. In 1913 her second husband was killed in an automobile accident on Long Island.

Father:

Spotswood Schenck

Mother:

Effie (Morgan) Schenck

Spouse:

Charles Collins

Spouse:

William Laimbee