Dear [first_name]:
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# Note that past newsletters are now accessible on the CAA website. Click on News in the home page menu or click here.
Tell us honestly: Two stories last week (admittedly from the retail side) made us wonder: Did you ever have a client who let you know that the bank had made a mistake in his or her favor?
The New York Times Ethicist columnist ran a story about a grandfather who removes the "Bank Error in Your Favor -- Collect $200" card from his grandchild's Monopoly game, because he thinks it teaches the wrong lesson. (Mind you, when Monopoly was introduced in 1935, that $200 was the equivalent of about $4,600 in today's dollars.)
JPMorganChase is teaching a different kind of lesson by going after customers it has accused of stealing funds in last year’s so-called "infinite money glitch", whereby customers were able withdraw the entire value of a fraudulent check before it bounced.
If you have a story to share about either a scrupulously honest client (at his own expense) or a client who got caught (with either minor or a bit more major theft -- please no names or details by which they could be identified), please contact Andrea at news@chasealum.org.
NEWS & EVENTS (PAST AND FUTURE)
# We're on the cusp of 80 attendees for the 10 May 2025
The gathering will take place on at London’s prestigious Royal Air Force (RAF) Club and promises to be a unique opportunity to reconnect, reminisce and build new connections. Spouses/partners are invited to attend.
Note that there is different pricing for dues-paying CAA members (£60/$75) and those alumni who are registered for the site but don't pay dues. For the latter, the cost is £90/$115, but includes a one-year's paid membership, which will enable participants to see the photo album following the event (among other benefits).
Please click here to read more about our plans for the luncheon and to register. Let’s make this a memorable occasion for as diverse and vibrant a group as possible!
# Last Call! C'mon birders and those of you who've always wondered what it is like to go birding! No experience is needed. REGISTER NOW for this year's CAA birdwatching event in Central Park's North Woods led by Tod Winston of NYC Bird Alliance (formerly Audubon). It's scheduled for this Wednesday, April 30, 2025, and the weather will be perfect! This is timed smack in the middle of the peak migration season for songbirds. Since this is two weeks earlier in the year than last year's outing, we may be seeing some different species (particularly waterfowl and raptors). You must be a dues-paying Chase Alumni member to register and may bring one non-member. Cost is $10 per person. Attendance is limited to 22 people, and we still have places. For details and to sign up, click here.
Société Générale has chosen William Connelly to chair its board beginning in May 20, 2026. Connelly began his financial career with Chase Manhattan in 1980, working in New York, Madrid and London before leaving for Baring Brothers in Spain in 1990. He went on to an illustrious career at ING, Aegon and Amadeus.
Last week, JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon released his annual letter to shareholders, which begins:
"Across the globe, 2024 was yet another year of significant challenges, from the terrible ongoing war and violence in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East to ongoing terrorist activity and growing geopolitical tensions, importantly with China. Our hearts go out to those whose lives are profoundly affected by these events.
"JPMorganChase, a company that historically has worked across borders and boundaries, will do its part to ensure that the global economy is safe and secure, but it is not immune to the effects of these events. Two things are absolutely foundational to the long-term success of JPMorganChase: one is whether we run a great company and two, which is maybe more important, is whether the long-term health of America, domestically, and the future of the free and democratic world are strong. In the first two sections of this letter, I deal with these critical issues. And in the third and fourth sections, I talk about specific issues unique to JPMorganChase and how we are addressing them, including constantly fighting complacency, arrogance and bureaucracy."
FORTUNE recently published quite the description of the new JPMorganChase headquarters at 270 Park Avenue, saying that the first 2,000 employees are expected to start moving in at the end of August, with the remainder joining them by the end of the year. While the article is behind a firewall (or readable via an Apple News+ subscription), there is a related video available to all on YouTube. According to the article, JPMC hopes that the many extras in the building – 19 restaurants! lighting systems that complement circadian rhythms! larger windows! – will help "lure back reluctant employees" who are upset by the Bank's recent mandate requiring all staff to return to the office five days a week. Meanwhile, The New Yorker recently published a profile on Norman Foster, the architect for the new JPMC headquarters. Leave your comments here. And yes, we're hoping the CAA will have a reception in the new building this fall or next spring. (Image: dbox/Foster + Partners)
As for the reported employee distress over the return-to-office mandate, Reuters ran the following about a not-so-loving pre-Valentine's-Day Town Hall:
NEW YORK, Feb 13 (Reuters) - JPMorganChase (JPM.N), CEO Jamie Dimon scorned calls from some employees to soften the bank's five-day return-to-office policy in an animated town hall meeting on Wednesday, according to a recording reviewed by Reuters.
GOING, GOING...GONE! We've sold all the tickets we reserved for the Friday, May 23, 2025 Mets vs Dodgers game at Citi Field. While there are no refunds or returns, we will maintain a waiting list in case one of our alumni cannot use the tickets he/she reserved. For more information, click here. You must be a dues-paying member to order. Please: As we discount these tickets, we would appreciate your not buying them just for friends and family without your planning to attend yourself.
In a story about how Texas has become a burgeoning financial hub, The Wall Street Journal reported that JPMorganChase has more employees in the Lone Star State than in New York State – 31,000 vs 28,300!
"In Texas, about 12,700 [JPMC] employees work out of a 50-acre campus in the Dallas suburb of Plano, where meeting rooms are decorated with saddles and Western wear and on-site eateries include a Texas barbecue stand. The complex, comprising four buildings and 1.5 million square feet of office space, has doubled its employees since it opened in 2017," writes WSJ reporter Elizabeth Findell.
LIFE AFTER CHASE
Candid Camera: In retirement, Jean-Marc Bara has become a truly accomplished and even prizewinning photographer, with at least half his output falling under the genre of "street photography": records of everyday life in public places – often candid photos of strangers, often without their knowledge. Bara has shared a video of a recent presentation he made about the genre and his work: From Intuition to Insight: A Journey in Street Photography blends education and inspiration, offering insights for photographers and non-photographers alike. Click here for the link and to see some of his extraordinary images.
For Chrismukkah: Tampa's Charlotte Israel is the perfect profile for a holiday season when Chanukah falls on Christmas: She's an evangelical minister who bases much of her faith in the Torah, as well as an entrepreneur, holistic wellness provider and Rotary leader involved in remarkable projects in Sierra Leone. Click here to read about this gifted Chase alumna.
Diane Santomouro Bresee has spent post-Chase time painting and traveling. The paintings are of Papua New Guinea – inspired by her father's service there in World War Two and her own visit to the country in 2013.
CAA TECH CORNER WITH DAN ALVAREZ
In his 10th feature dedicated to defining emerging trends in technology (in plain English), CAA board member Dan Alvarez shares reasons for making mobile payments and using a digital wallet. (Spoiler alert: It's easy and actually safer.)
Dan's columns look at tech trends at a "100-level" for Luddites, brilliant (of course) but non-technologically inclined bankers and anyone else in the financial world embarrassed to ask basic questions while looking at the "big picture".
EVENT PHOTOS
# Remember: Dues-paying Chase Alumni Association members can explore the numerous photo albums on the website.
Available to everyone to see:
A photo sent by Lim Jiew Keng of Chase alumni from Singapore:
Here's a treat for dues-paying members: Click to read The Story of Money: From Barter to Banking, published by The Chase Manhattan Bank Money Museum in 1967. To become a CAA dues-paying member, please click here.
MOMENTS IN BANK HISTORY
(And remember...you have friends at Chase Alumni who want to see photos of your Bank memorabilia! Please send to news@chasealum.org.
# Object of the Week: A print ad from 1967, promoting Chemical Bank's international reach. The copy reads: ˆTwo of Britain’s financial establishment meet in seclusion near Kensington. With them, in the middle, is the man from Chemical Bank New York Trust Company. In more than 145 nations, the leading local banks have named Chemical New York a working partner. No bank is better able to get you inside to the men who count. The bank that works hardest for you, Chemical Bank New York.

The Dime Savings Bank of New York, originally the Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn, was a bank headquartered at 9 DeKalb Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. It operated from 1859 to 2002, when it was acquired by Washington Mutual, which was subsequently acquired in 2008 by JPMorganChase, which currently owns all former Dime assets. Designed by Mowbray and Uffinger, the original Dime building dates to the early 1900s and was expanded in 1931-32 by Halsey, McCormack & Helmer, who added a rotunda. The old bank is currently preserved at the base of a 74-story residential skyscraper, The Brooklyn Tower. The postcard show above is from 1910. To learn more about the building and see photos of the spectacular interior, click here.
John Hehir sent us some wonderful ephemera – photos, postcards, ads – from the early 1960s when Chase posted him to the Caribbean. Click here to see them.
This isn't so much a moment in bank history as a mystery in bank history that we're seeking your help in solving! We received an inquiry from a British doctoral student who recently purchased (with the intent of restoring) a "Guards Red" 1983 Porsche 924 that was originally registered, in June 1983, to Chase Manhattan Bank, Woolgate, Coleman Street, London. The newest owner is looking for information about her autobaby's childhood. Click here for more information and pictures, and let Andrea know if you can fill in part of the car's story. We've added some clues we've received so far. Turns out a lot of Chase officers in the UK had red Porsches at the time.
For 10 years at least, Chase Manhattan ran ads for the CMB Personal Trust Department featuring chained, supersized (nest) eggs. See how the ad campaign evolved and presented ideas for retirement over the 14 ads we've captured from the 1950s and 1960s. (Two separate posts)
LOOKING FOR INPUT...
HAPPY MILESTONE BIRTHDAY!
# We often hear from alumni, "So many In Memoriams!" We can't stop the inevitable, but one alumnus came up with a nice idea: Why not spread a little happiness by celebrating milestone birthdays?
So we're inviting alumni to share their upcoming (or very recent) milestone birthdays, ending in "0" or "5". (Please notify Andrea at news@chasealum.org.)
♦Happy Birthday to John Hehir, who turned 85 on April 17, 2025.♦
IN MEMORIAM
# Steve Lewine, who worked for Manufacturers Hanover Trust, Chemical Bank, Chase Manhattan and JPMorganChase as an international commercial and investment banker over a nearly 22-year period, specializing in Latin America, died unexpectedly on April 13, 2025. He was 67.
Roger Crevier, whose multi-decade career at Chase Manhattan included a period running its Middle East division, died at the age of 85 in Princeton, NJ, on April 3, 2025.
Robert (Bob) Johnson, who at one point led Chase Manhattan's European Sector for the Bank's International Investment Advisory Division, died in Greensboro, NC, on April 3, 2025, age 84.
Volker Pesta, a corporate banker who worked for Chase Manhattan Bank AG (Austria) from 1969 to 1987, died on January 17, 2025, at the age of 81.
Roman Friedrich III, who, between 1969 and 1980, worked for Chase in Latin America and ran Chase Manhattan Bank Canada, died on February 2, 2025, in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. He was 79.
Michael Hilley, an essential figure in Chase Manhattan's branch administration for 36 years, died on February 9, 2025, at the age of 80.
How Best to Use the CAA Membership Directory
If you have not done so recently, please update
the information in your profile, so that the CAA and other members would be better able to contact you. Using the Membership Directory is a privilege of dues-paying CAA members.
Now get a refresher on how to best use the membership directory to find an individual or
groups of individuals you would like to contact. (Note that only dues-paying members have
access to the directory.).
To get to the directory, log in at www.chasealum.org. On the home page menu, click on Membership and then Member Directory.
When searching by name, or in any of the other search areas, we advise starting by putting in less information in the search field. For example, if you want to find William Smith, type only Smith in the Search by Name box; if you put in “William Smith” and he is calling himself Bill Smith in his profile, you will not find him.
If you want to find members who live near you, enter the city, state or country (or any combination) under Location. The Years at Chase search is very valuable. Type in 1996-2005, for instance, and you will find everyone who worked for the bank (including heritage banks) during those years. You can narrow your search by also typing in a location or job title.
Once you have entered the search words, click on Search at the bottom of the page. When members’ names appear, click on their names to obtain more detailed information about them.
If you have any problem with any of this, contact Ken Jablon at jablonkt@aol.com.
As always: If the links do not work for you, you can always access the latest stories by logging on to CAA's web site.
If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to Ken Jablon or call Ken (during normal working hours) at 212-799-9525.
By the by: Don't forget to explore the rest of the CAA Web site. (www.chasealum.org) Just click on the home page menu buttons to find the news archive, photo album, membership directory, past In Memoriams and benefit information.
The Board of the Chase Alumni Association
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CHASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
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