Former Forney Boy Bank President
Biography of N.E. Shands, Jr.
Forney Herald
Friday, 14 April 1939, Page 18
Ninus Eugene Shands, Jr., president of the First National Bank of Mesquite and president of the Frosted Food Lockers, is a former Forney boy, the son of the late Dr. N.E. Shands and Mrs. Julia C. Shands.
He attended school in Forney, moving with his parents to San Marcos when he was twelve years old continuing his education in the San Marcos high school, Coronal Inst., San Marcos, and Southwestern University, Georgetown.
Mr. Shands moved to Mesquite in 1913 and established Mesquite’s first electric light plant which he operated for three years, selling out to the Texas Power and Light Co., in 1916. He entered the United States Army in May 1916, and sailed for France in June. He was assigned to Hdg. Co., 315 Engineers, 90th Division and remained one year in France and Germany.
Following his discharge from the army in 1919 he went to work for the First National Bank of Cleveland, Texas, in September, and remained with that bank until he moved to Mesquite in 1923 as assistant cashier of the First National Bank. Three months later he was made cashier, and was later promoted to the presidency of the bank, a position he now holds.
In addition to being president of the bank, Mr. Shands is director of the Mesquite Fair Association, member of the City Council, member of the official board of the Methodist Church, former president of the Men’s Luncheon Club and one of the outstanding business men of Mesquite.
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Bank Salutes 50-year Vet
Dallas Morning News
Thursday, 11 January 1973
N.E. Shands, former Mesquite mayor and chairman of the board of the First National Bank of Mesquite, was honored for 50 years service Wednesday at bank reception ceremonies.
Despite the fact that Shands is 80 years old, Wednesday’s reception was not a retirement ceremony.
Shands is 80 years old [sic], 1923 as assistant cashier and later served as its president for 29 years before being named chairman of the board in 1961. A son, Nathan E. “Gene” Shands, is current president of the bank, and a grandson, Ross Wilcox, is a vice-president. Shand’s granddaughter, Mrs. Suzi Evans, serves as a bank cashier, and he has several brothers and nephews in banking in other parts of the state.
Shands is a graduate of Coromal Institute in San Marcos and a veteran of World War I. He served on the Mesquite City Council from 1931 to 1941 and as mayor from 1941 to 1947.
During his banking career, Mesquite has grown from 650 to 62,000 population; the bank’s deposits have grown from $275,000 to about $30,000,000.
Note: Ninus Eugene Shands
