Ewing T. Boles
Encyclopedia
Ewing Thomas Boles was an American investment banker and philanthropist
who served as president, CEO and chairman of the Ohio Company (now merged with Fifth Third Bank
).
Boles was born on a farm outside of Williamstown, Kentucky
. He attended Centre College
in Danville, Kentucky
where he played football, studied economics and English and graduated in 1916. Be became a member of a local organization called Zenophilia which became the fourth chapter of a growing national organization known as Phrenocon. That organization which would again change its name to Phi Kappa Tau
in 1916 became a major focus of Boles' volunteer work for the rest of his life.
.
Boles worked in Chicago after the war, and held other positions before joining BancOhio Securities Company (later the Ohio Company) at Columbus, Ohio
in 1929. He was named its president in 1935 and continued in that capacity until his retirement in 1965. He enjoyed considerable success in business, serving on the board of directors for some 15 companies. He was president of the Investment Bankers Association, 1952–53, and active in community service organizations.
gold medal in 1985.
At Centre College, he served for many years as a member of the board and was chair for five years in the 1960s. At the college, both Boles Hall and the Boles Natatorium are named for him, as are endowed professorships in history and in economics.
At his death, he left multi-million dollar bequests to the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation and to Centre College.
His older brother, Stanley A. Boles
was a coach and athletic director at the University of Kentucky
.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who served as president, CEO and chairman of the Ohio Company (now merged with Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank is a U.S. regional banking corporation, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the principal subsidiary of holding company Fifth Third Bancorp ....
).
Boles was born on a farm outside of Williamstown, Kentucky
Williamstown, Kentucky
Williamstown is a city in Grant county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 3,227 as of the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County....
. He attended Centre College
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
in Danville, Kentucky
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
where he played football, studied economics and English and graduated in 1916. Be became a member of a local organization called Zenophilia which became the fourth chapter of a growing national organization known as Phrenocon. That organization which would again change its name to Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
in 1916 became a major focus of Boles' volunteer work for the rest of his life.
Career
Boles entered the University of Kentucky Law School but gave that up to enter the United States Navy during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Boles worked in Chicago after the war, and held other positions before joining BancOhio Securities Company (later the Ohio Company) at Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
in 1929. He was named its president in 1935 and continued in that capacity until his retirement in 1965. He enjoyed considerable success in business, serving on the board of directors for some 15 companies. He was president of the Investment Bankers Association, 1952–53, and active in community service organizations.
Philanthropic activity
Boles' two major philanthropic interests were Centre College and Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity and its educational foundation. He was national president of the fraternity in 1916-17 and was the founder of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation in 1950. He served as president of the Foundation and later as chairman of the board. In 1982, he spurred a capital campaign for the Foundation with a challenge gift of $1-million which was the largest gift ever given to a college fraternity or sorority foundation up until that time. He was the only person ever to be named an honorary founder of Phi Kappa Tau. In recognition of his lifelong commitment to the fraternity, he received the North-American Interfraternity ConferenceNorth-American Interfraternity Conference
The North-American Interfraternity Conference , is an association of collegiate men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate...
gold medal in 1985.
At Centre College, he served for many years as a member of the board and was chair for five years in the 1960s. At the college, both Boles Hall and the Boles Natatorium are named for him, as are endowed professorships in history and in economics.
At his death, he left multi-million dollar bequests to the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation and to Centre College.
His older brother, Stanley A. Boles
Stanley A. Boles
Stanley Atwood Boles was the athletic director of the University of Kentucky from 1917 through 1933. He also served as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats football and Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball teams for one season each...
was a coach and athletic director at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
.