(Redirected from Seafirst Corporation)'Seafirst Corporation' was a bank holding company based in
Seattle,
Washington.
Formed on
November 11,
1929, from the merger of
Seattle's three largest banks, the
First National Bank Group, the
Dexter Horton National Bank (founded 1870 by
Dexter Horton), and
Seattle National Bank, the bank was originally named 'First Seattle Dexter Horton National Bank'. In 1931, the bank changed its name to 'First National Bank of Seattle', and again in 1935 to 'Seattle-First National Bank'.
Seafirst was acquired by
BankAmerica Corp. in 1983, when Seafirst was at risk of seizure by the federal government after becoming insolvent following the demise of
Oklahoma City based
Penn Square Bank. Seafirst had acquired a significant share of that Penn Square's energy loan debt by participating in loans originated by that bank. Penn Square Bank collapsed in 1982, and the FDIC's decision to pay off only insured deposits rendered the participation assets valueless.
[1] The corporation and its primary subsidiary, 'Seattle-First National Bank', maintained the 'Seafirst Bank' name and brand identity.
During the 1980s and much of the 1990s Seafirst Bank maintained a high degree of autonomy and reigned as the largest bank in Washington.
Following the 1998 merger of
BankAmerica Corp. and
NationsBank Corp. into the modern
Bank of America Corporation, 'Seafirst' finally assumed the
Bank of America brand in 2000.
References
★ ''The Bankoscope: Staff Publication of the Seattle-First National Bank''. Special Anniversary Issue, June 1960, Volume XVIII. Seattle: Seattle-First National Bank, 1960.
1. FDIC history of the Penn Square buyout