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18-653: The bank was founded in 1874 by the Kempner family as Island City Savings Bank. In 1902 the decision was made to rename the bank the Texas Bank & Trust Company. Finally, on December 31, 1923 the bank would receive its last name, United States National Bank. The Galveston bank would be the last to be chartered using this name, as in 1926 the United States Congress banned the use of the words "Reserve", "United States" and "Federal" in bank titles. Under

36-669: A grandfather clause, banks that already had titles incorporating those words were allowed to keep them. On May 3, 1982, Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. issued shares of common and redeemable preferred stock for all of the outstanding preferred and common stock of United States National Bancshares, Inc. and Galbank, Inc. which together owned all of the capital stock of United States National Bank of Galveston and Sugar Land State Bank. Afterwards Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. continued to operate United States National Bank (USNB) separately from its flagship Frost National Bank for nearly two decades. As new financial services legislation allowed banks to broaden

54-547: A partner, William T. Eldridge , purchased a sugar plantation and mill in the area that would become the company town of Sugar Land . Over the following years, they acquired additional assets and controlled the majority of the sugar industry in Texas. These holdings were incorporated into the Imperial Sugar Company in 1924. After Eldridge died, Kempner and his siblings acquired his partner's interest in

72-400: A specifically elected mayor. As a form, commission government once was common, but has largely been supplanted as many cities that once used it have since switched to the council–manager form, in which the elected council, presided over by a non-executive mayor, hires a professional manager to oversee day to day operations of the city. Proponents of the council-manager form typically consider

90-403: Is an honorific or ceremonial designation. The mayor principally serves as chairman or president of the commission, presiding over meetings, but typically does not have additional powers over and above the other commissioners. In many cases, the mayor is selected by the commissioners from among themselves, though some cities with a commission form of government, such as Bismarck, North Dakota , have

108-694: The Kempner Park neighborhood, is bounded by Broadway, 23rd Street, Seawall Boulevard, and 39th Street. The entire stretch of 22nd Street in Galveston is named in his honor. After the Storm of 1900, he was instrumental in financing the construction of the Galveston Seawall . Kempner, along with his siblings, was a founder of the Harris & Eliza Kempner Fund , a charitable foundation dedicated to

126-585: The business. In addition to his sugar and cotton holdings, Kempner was also involved in real estate and insurance businesses and, along with his siblings, held ownership in the United States National Bank in Galveston. Kempner also contributed construction funds for the original 3.3 mile Galveston Seawall (which is currently 10 miles as of 2017). Kempner held various positions on the Galveston Cotton Exchange for

144-456: The city and, as a group, are responsible for taxation, appropriations, ordinances, and other general functions. Individual commissioners are also assigned executive responsibility for a specific aspect of municipal affairs, such as public works , finance , or public safety . This form of government thus blends legislative and executive branch functions in the same body. One commissioner may be designated to function as mayor , but this largely

162-537: The city commission form to be the predecessor of, not the alternative to, the council-manager form of government. The commission form is now found in less than one percent of American municipalities. This form of government originated in Galveston, Texas , as a response to the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 , mainly for the reason that extra support was needed in certain areas. After its constitutionality

180-451: The health and well-being of Galveston families as well as the improvement of Galveston. His granddaughter, Lyda Ann Thomas , served as the mayor of Galveston from 2004 to 2010. City commission government Executive mayor elected by the people, elected legislative City council Council - Manager Executive leader elected by the council from among themselves Elected mayor and cabinet Executive mayor elected by

198-574: The majority of his life. He was Galveston's finance commissioner from 1901 to 1915 and its mayor from 1917 to 1919. He is cited as one of the original proponents of the commission form of government . Sugar Land, the company town he helped found, has grown into one of the largest suburbs of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Kempner High School in Sugar Land is named in his honor. A historical district of Galveston,

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216-480: The people Committee system Executive leader and executive committees elected by the council from among themselves City commission government is a form of local government in the United States . In a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to seven members, typically on a plurality-at-large voting basis. These commissioners constitute the legislative body of

234-505: The services they offered customers, Cullen/Frost folded the USNB charter into Frost's in 2000. With this action, the last bank using the federally forbidden United States National Bank title ceased to exist. DMX filmed his Party UP video at the building. [REDACTED] Media related to U.S. National Bank Building -- Galveston at Wikimedia Commons Issac Herbert Kempner Isaac Herbert Kempner (January 14, 1873 – August 1, 1967)

252-535: The system would eventually replace the United States Senate and House of Representatives . He believed the commission system would allow better lawmakers to be selected and that they would be subject to higher scrutiny. However, the council-manager form, which developed at least in part as a response to some perceived limitations of the commission form, became the preferred alternative for progressive reform. After World War I , very few cities adopted

270-494: The time). In 1902, Kempner married Henrietta Blum. They had 5 children together: Harris Leon Kempner , Isaac Herbert Kempner Jr. , Cecile, Lyda, and Leonora. In 1905, Kempner and fellow Galveston businessman William Lewis Moody Jr. , established the American National Insurance Company ; However, by 1908, Kempner had sold his shares in the insurance company and with his family members, and

288-579: Was a Polish Jewish immigrant and his mother was from the German Jewish Seinsheimer family in Cincinnati. Kempner was the eldest of eight surviving children. He studied at Washington and Lee University , but left just before graduation when his father died in 1894. Kempner returned to his family home in Galveston to assume control of the family business and care for his mother and seven siblings (who were as young as 2 years old at

306-518: Was tested and confirmed, this form of government quickly became popular across the state of Texas and spread to other parts of the United States . Des Moines, Iowa , became the first city outside Texas to adopt this form of government. University of Chicago Professor Charles Zueblin was a major advocate of the commission plan of government, believing that every city in the United States would eventually adopt it. Zueblin also predicted that

324-570: Was the founder of the Imperial Sugar Corporation and mayor of Galveston, Texas . Kempner was born in Cincinnati on January 14, 1873 to Harris Kempner and Eliza Kempner. Although the newly married Kempners were residing in Galveston, Eliza traveled to Cincinnati in preparation for giving birth, where her family was living and better medical care was available. Kempner was born in 1873 in Cincinnati, Ohio . His father

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