Longtime Texas lawyer and banker John B. Selman passed away on February 18 at the age of 91. The focus of his career was bringing banking to citizens in underserved areas in Texas and his Christian calling to serve the less fortunate.
After graduating from the University of Texas–Austin with BBA and LLB degrees and serving in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant, Selman pursued a career in law, practicing for 32 years with the law firm of Sneed, Vine, Wilkerson, Selman and Perry; as counsel for 15 years with the Washington, D.C., law firm Silver, Freedman and Taff; and his son’s firm, Selman, Munson & Lerner.
Selman was a founder and chairman of the board of Highland Lakes Bank in Kingsland, Lost Pines National Bank in Smithville and owner and chairman of TaylorBanc Savings Association in Taylor. In Austin, he served as vice chairman of Franklin Savings and was chairman of the board of Franklin Bank from 1995 to 2002 and, thereafter, a member of the board of Franklin Bank Corp. until 2008. At the age of 72, he founded and chaired Grand Mountain Bank in Granby, Colorado.
An active Catholic, Selman was honored as a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher. He was a former district governor of Serra International and was instrumental in founding St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Kingsland. He also served on the National Brotherhood Council of Christians and Jews.
One of the activities Selman found most rewarding was serving as a founder and president of the Church Food Pantry, which provided food for the less fortunate in Northeast Austin. He chaired 25 bank-sponsored golf tournaments to raise funds for the Church Food Pantry and church food banks at Mountain Family Center in Colorado. Each year in November, he raised thousands of dollars from friends and family to help families with food and gifts during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.
Stelman is survived by Lois A. Selman, his loving wife and companion of 67 years; son Jack A. Selman and daughter-in-law Cynthia Selman; daughter Sharon S. Gramlich and son-in-law Charles Gramlich; daughter Gail S. Gray and son-in-law Robert F. Gray Jr.; and daughter Linda S. Scott and son-in-law Clyde Scott. He is also survived by a brother, Charles M. Selman, and sister-in-law Carolyn Selman, as well as 10 grandchildren.
