| Our Story
Kirkpatrick Bank History
Kirkpatrick Family History
|
Our Story
Kirkpatrick Bank is headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma serving both Oklahoma and Colorado with branches in Edmond, Oklahoma City and Colorado Springs. Originally chartered as American Bank and Trust in 1970, the Bank was acquired by the Kirkpatrick family in 1988, a troubled year for many Oklahoma banks. In the same year, the Kirkpatrick family proposed and backed, with the support of other Oklahoma financial leaders, a plan to re-capitalize Liberty National Bank.
Christian Kirkpatrick Keesee, a third generation banker and energy industry executive, was named Chairman of American Bank and Trust in 1988. In 1990, American Bank and Trust acquired Heritage Bank and Trust in Edmond and, in 2001 would open additional branches in both Edmond and Oklahoma City. Additionally, in 1998, Keesee acquired the highly regarded Intermountain Mortgage Company in Colorado Springs. In 2002, the Bank branched into Colorado with two locations. In 2004, American Bank and Trust became officially known as Kirkpatrick Bank. In February of 2007, the Bank launched its first exclusively web-based depository product, Savings Square, which has attracted customers in all 50 states.
The Kirkpatrick family, one of Oklahoma's leading families in banking and energy, is also noted for their philanthropic leadership supporting communities and the arts. Kirkpatrick Bank is noted for its extensive art collection on display at the various branches. The family has resided in both Oklahoma and Colorado for five generations, actively and personally involved in their communities of residence.
Banking History
1918 |
Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick's father, Mack Blake, helps found Liberty National Bank in OKC.
|
1920 |
Mack Blake acquires Security National Bank in Lawton.
|
1933 |
Great Depression hits Oklahoma, Mack Blake mortgages all his assets to rescue Liberty National Bank.
|
1946 |
John E. and Eleanor B. Kirkpatrick receive Mack Blake's shares in Liberty National Bank.
|
1947 |
John Kirkpatrick elected to Board of Directors of Liberty National Bank.
|
1957 |
Kirkpatrick and other directors purchase control in Stockyards Bank, May Avenue Bank and First Security Bank
*Oklahoma banking laws at the time did not permit multi-bank holding companies or branching, but did allow individuals to invest in more than one bank.
|
1968 |
Liberty National Corporation is formed in anticipation of changes to Oklahoma laws on branching. John Kirkpatrick acquires controlling interest in Stockyards, May Avenue and First Security Banks with options for Liberty National Bank to purchase.
|
1972 |
Morrison Tucker acquires the Liberty National Bank option from John Kirkpatrick and issues a new charter and new names. Stockyards becomes United Oklahoma Bank and May Avenue becomes Union Bank & Trust; grandson Christian Kirkpatrick Keesee launches banking career at Union a few years later at age 13.
|
1983 |
Oklahoma passes legislation to permit multi-bank holding companies and limited branching in response to economic pressures resulting from the oil bust following OPEC's embargo and subsequent price drops. Oklahoma economy in severe distress, 22 banks have failed in 5 years.
|
1984 |
Liberty National Bank in Oklahoma City and First National Bank of Tulsa merge under the new law as Banks of Mid-America, the largest multi-bank holding company in the state; Kirkpatrick holds 10% of common stock, largest voting block.
|
1986 |
Economic woes deepen; US Tax Act offers exemptions for owners of real estate who do not manage their own properties & Oklahoma City office vacancy rate rises to 1/3 of market space
First National of Tulsa acquires Bank of Commerce; Liberty National acquires First National Bank of Norman and Citizen's National Bank.
Liberty National Bank beginning to experience losses; Kirkpatrick as Chairman calls in Ray Hefner and Charles Nelson to address a restructure of operations.
|
1988 |
20,000 Oklahoma companies filed bankruptcy from 1987 to the first quarter of 1988; only 2 of Oklahoma's 10 largest banks still exist.
Banks of Mid-America require recapitalization to continue operations and Board considers an acquisition offer from a national source for $60 million.
Kirkpatrick, Nelson and Hefner develop the Oklahoma Plan to raise $75 million from Oklahomans; Kirkpatrick family pledges $20 million and Board accepts the plan unanimously.
Christian Kirkpatrick Keesee acquires American Bank & Trust in Edmond, named Chairman.
|
1990 |
Heritage National Bank merges with American Bank & Trust.
|
1993 |
Liberty Bancorp, the holding company replacing Mid-America Banks, under Nelson as CEO, pays their first dividend to shareholders.
|
1995 |
American Bank & Trust acquires 100% of the stock of American Capital Mortgage Company.
|
1997 |
American Bancorp of Oklahoma acquires Texas Guaranty Bank, Houston.
|
2001 |
American Bank & Trust merges with Farmers Bank in Ault, Colorado and forms Intermountain Bank in Colorado Springs.
|
2002 |
American Bank & Trust opens branches in Oklahoma City and Edmond, Oklahoma.
|
2004 |
American Bank & Trust changes its name to Kirkpatrick Bank.
|
2006 |
Intermountain Bank opens a branch in Castle Rock, Colorado.
|
2007 |
Colorado branches operating under Intermountain Bank are united under the name Kirkpatrick Bank.
|
Family History
1908 |
John Elson Kirkpatrick born to Dr. E.E. and Claudia Spencer Kirkpatrick, the third of five children, four boys and a daughter.
Dr. Kirkpatrick was one of the first registered dentists in Oklahoma Territory and the first chair of the Oklahoma Territory Board of Examiners, first president and co-founder of the Oklahoma Dental Association.
|
1909 |
Eleanor Blake born to Mack Barkley and Kathryn Talbot Blake, their only child.
Mr. Blake was an entrepreneur with business interests in wholesale dry goods, clothing manufacture and banking. He founded Liberty National Bank in 1918.
|
1910 |
Dr. Kirkpatrick purchases a log cabin in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado, 15 miles up Ute Pass from Colorado Springs.
John Kirkpatrick and his brothers sold magazines at the train station, delivered telegrams and produced a local newspaper called "The Gurgle" to earn money over the summer.
|
1933 |
John Kirkpatrick having graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy the prior year, marries Eleanor Blake, herself a recent graduate of Smith College. The couple honeymoons at the Kirkpatrick family cabin in Green Mountain Falls.
|
1935 |
John Kirkpatrick resigns his naval commission, remaining in the Navy Reserves. He completes his master's in business at Harvard and returns to Oklahoma.
|
1936 |
Mack Blake finances John Kirkpatrick and his partners to establish Allied Steel Products, which designed and fabricated steel buildings for the oilfield. John applies his naval engineering education to design products and engines.
|
1941 |
John Kirkpatrick called to active duty in the Pacific. During his WWII service he received two Bronze Stars. He redesigned and rewrote the training and process for the US Naval Fleet anti-aircraft gunnery stations.
Mack Blake oversees John's interests in Allied Steel, selling the company to another operator.
|
1946 |
Mack Blake dies, leaving John Kirkpatrick in charge of the family estate and his interest in Liberty National Bank. John Kirkpatrick leaves active service, again remaining in the Navy Reserves until his retirement in 1956 as rear admiral.
Eleanor Kirkpatrick establishes the first annual Beaux Arts Ball to raise money to build a suitable facility for the Oklahoma City Art Museum.
|
1950 |
John Kirkpatrick founds Kirkpatrick Oil, a drilling and exploration company. Over the next several years, he establishes a vertically integrated enterprise with businesses in well servicing, pipelines and trucking.
Eleanor Kirkpatrick serves as Regent for Gunston Hall in Virginia and the Oklahoma President of the National Society of Colonial Dames.
|
1955 |
John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick establish the Kirkpatrick Foundation to focus on arts and education. Over the next 50 years, the Foundation would provide over $48 million in pivotal support to establishing the facilities and programs of a myriad of charitable, cultural and civic projects, notably including: the Oklahoma City Musem of Art, the Kirkpatrick Center and Omniplex, Ballet Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Zoological Park, Oklahoma City University's Lyric Theatre, and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
|
1969 |
John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick persuade eight fellow business leaders to establish the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, in response to the National Tax Reform Act passed in that year imposing significant restrictions on private foundations.
|
1994 |
The Kirkpatrick Foundation establishes the Kirkpatrick Family Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. Combined, the three Kirkpatrick foundations have raised and contributed $237 million to hundreds of Oklahoma City non-profit organizations over five decades.
|
|
