McKinney, George B.

The following data is extracted from Centennial History of Missouri.

George B. McKinney is the vice president of the investment securities firm operating under the name of b'. J. Matre & Company in St. Louis. Before establishing his present business he had gained an enviable record as a salesman who was relied upon from year to year by a large clientele of bond purchasers who found him thoroughly posted and reliable in every way. Before coming to St. Louis he was employed on Wall street in New York city and had become thoroughly familiar with the methods and opportunities of the financial world. He is an eastern man by birth, the place of his nativity being Newark, New Jersey, and the date December 15, 1889. His parents were Joseph and Mary (Wilson) McKinney. The father, a native cf Dublin, Ireland, came to the United States in his boyhood days and as the years passed was known in business circles as a capable master mechanic. He departed this life in 1905, while his widow, a native of the state of New York, is now residing in St. Louis.

George B. McKinney was educated in the public schools of New Jersey and in St. Mary's College at St. Marys, Kansas. He started out in the business world on Wall street, New York City, being connected with several large bond houses, and during that period he became thoroughly familiar with operations on Wall street. He was afterward with the Mercantile Trust Company of St. Louis for a time but resigned his position to go upon the operatic stage, being the possessor of a fine tenor voice, in which connection he traveled throughout the United States for a period of five years. He then returned to the Mercantile Trust Company, serving in various capacities with this great bank, and on again resigning his position on the 1st of April, 1920, he received the following letter from the president of the company:

Saint Louis, March 22nd, 1920.
Mr. George B. McKinney,
4320 W. Florissant Av.,
Saint Louis.
Dear Mr. McKinney:
I have your voluntary resignation before me. I regret you believe it to your interest to resign, and in accepting your resignation it gives me great pleasure to testify to your integrity, ability and industry during the six years you have been in the employ of this company.
I wish you every success in any field of endeavor you. may undertake.
Yours very truly,
FESTUS J. WADE, President.

Mr. McKinney then took up the duties of vice president of the investment securities firm of F. J. Matre & Company, Incorporated, which is a Chicago concern, with offices both in that city and in St. Louis. Mr. McKinney has met with gratifying success in his conduct of the St. Louis office, which is maintained in the Arcade building. He was also one of the principals in incorporating the Great Western Fire Insurance Company, which was formed for the purpose of reinsuring other companies. The Great Western has a capital of four 'hundred thousand dollars and a surplus of six hundred thousand dollars.

Mr. McKinney is a member of the Catholic church and of De Andries Council, No. 800, of the Knights of Columbus. He also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. During the period in which America was at war with Germany he did much toward promoting the various war activities, including the War Savings and Liberty loan drives and the Red Cross drives. He campaigned under Festus Wade, president of the Mercantile Trust Company, on war savings and appeared before more people in St. Louis than any other individual speaker except Mr. Wade. He also did most helpful work in the Red Cross and Liberty loan, Church Federation and Sisters of Good Shepherd campaigns and also in many other worthy causes, in which his labors were crowned with success. He also entered the officers' training camp at Camp Pike, Arkansas. He has traveled extensively and, meeting many people, has become an excellent judge of human nature. This is of great value to him in his business career. He is what is termed in popular parlance a good mixer and his ability as a singer and speaker has made him most popular in various organizations and public gatherings.

Source: Centennial History of Missouri

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