Bryan Nowlin, Freeman’s grandson and a vice president at Lamesa National Bank; Libby Clark, vice president of member relations at the Texas Bankers Association; and Elwood Freeman, accepting the TBA resolution honoring his 75 years of service to the Texas banking industry. Photograph courtesy of the Lamesa Press-Reporter. Elwood Freeman, president of Lamesa National Bank, was honored during a reception in late April for serving more than 75 years in the Texas banking industry, according to the Lamesa Press-Reporter. Libby Clark, vice president of member relations at the Texas Bankers Association (TBA), was on hand to present Freeman with a TBA resolution recognizing his many years of service. Bryan Nowlin, Freeman’s grandson, who currently serves as a vice president at Lamesa National Bank, was also on hand for the celebration.
Freeman got his start in banking in 1944 and has been with Lamesa National Bank since 1973. According to the Press-Reporter, he “was fresh out of high school, graduating at the age of 16, when he accepted an offer to go to work at First National Bank of Aspermont. He began with the basics, doing everything from sweeping floors to basic bookkeeping chores.”
“I knew from the first year at Aspermont that this is what I wanted to do, so everything since then has been along that line,” Freeman told the Press-Reporter in 2016.
The newspaper states that Freeman’s next step in his banking career was to work full-time at First National Bank in Rotan. The only time spent away from his career path was during the Korean War when he served for two years in the U.S. Army. After the war, Freeman returned to Aspermont and then went to Texas Tech University, earning a degree in finance in 1957.
“Having worked part-time at First National Bank in Lubbock while attending school, he took a full-time job there after graduation,” the Press-Reporter notes. “That was where he had his first contact with Lamesa.”
Established in Lamesa in 1906 as First State Bank, the name was changed to Lamesa National Bank in 1927. It has been locally owned and operated for more than 117 years.
“Elwood Freeman is a true inspiration to us all, a testament to the values of dedication, hard work and unwavering commitment to the community he serves,” Chris Furlow, TBA CEO and president, said in a statement emailed to the Lamesa Press-Reporter. “His 75 years of service as a banker is a remarkable achievement, a milestone that represents not just a career, but a lifetime of unwavering service to his fellow citizens. We celebrate Elwood’s dedication to his profession and his community, and we are honored to call him our colleague and friend.”
Bankers Digest thanks the Lamesa Press-Reporter for providing information for this news post.
