Seay, George J., 1862-1952

George J. Seay, the chief architect of Richmond's successful bid to land a regional Reserve Bank, also served as the first chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond from October 1914 to March 1936. Seay's twenty-two-year tenure spanned the Federal Reserve's formative years. As governor, he participated during World War I in the conference that developed the Liberty Loan program. Seay was active in the Conference of Governors, which became the dominant forum in the System in the 1920s. He served as chairman of the committee on discount rate policy and also chaired a special advisory committee to the Federal Reserve Board on legislation. The Richmond Fed expanded during Seay's tenure, establishing branches in Baltimore in 1918 and Charlotte in 1927. When Seay retired in 1936, nearly 700 employees worked for the Bank's three offices. (Source: Federal Reserve History)