Ben Summerwill Sr.
Ben Summerwill Sr. was described in his 1968 obituary in the Press-Citizen as “Dean of bankers in the Iowa City area.” After organizing Iowa State Bank and Trust in 1934 in the depths of the Great Depression, he went on to serve as president of the bank until 1953 when he became Chairman of the Board.
Summerwill was born in Odebolt and went to school in Newton and at Shattuck School in Faribault, Minn. He first made his mark in the lumber industry in Mapleton and established the Ben S. Summerwill Lumber Co., which operated as far afield as Nebraska and South Dakota.
He entered the cattle business in Pierre, S.D., in1916, but sold his assets and came to Iowa City in 1928 to join the Iowa Banking Department. He directed the liquidation of four state banks in the city as well as others in the area before organizing Iowa State Bank and Trust. He also served in many state and federal banking organizations.
Summerwill’s work extended well beyond banking, however. He was treasurer of the Iowa State Medical Society Educational Fund, which enabled many students to complete their medical education at the University of Iowa. He also worked for the Iowa City Chamber of Commerce and worked to develop the Iowa City airport.
Recognized as a pillar of the community at the time of his death, Iowa basketball coach Ralph H. Miller, former football coach and athletic director Forest Evashevski, Notre Dame Hall of Fame quarterback Frank Carideo and first dean of the UI business college Chester A. Phillips, and Amana Appliance founder George Foerstner were among his honorary pallbearers.