Brown Brothers, Harriman & Co.

Belfast linen merchant Alexander Brown emigrated to the United States in 1800 and in 1818 founded Alex. Brown & Sons. The firm later established offices in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. In 1810, Alexander's eldest son William returned to England and established the trading firm William Brown & Co. in Liverpool. This became Brown Shipley & Co. in 1839 and relocated to London. It separated from Brown Brothers as a distinct business entity in 1918. As financing opportunities and cash availability were diminished by the Depression, in 1931 Brown Brothers merged with the Harriman interests, to become Brown Brothers Harriman. In 1964 John A. Kouwenhoven, professor of English at Barnard College and the author of The Columbia Historical Portrait of New York, among other works, was hired by Brown Brothers Harriman to identify and amass records of historical value to the firm. His title was Director of the Historical Files, which were to serve, among other purposes, as the research materials for the writing of Partners in Banking, commissioned by Doubleday & Co. publishers to celebrate the firm's 150th anniversary in 1968.

From the description of Records of Brown Brothers Harriman, 1696-1973, 1995 (bulk 1820-1968). (New-York Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 654783935

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