Texas Border Business
The selection committee of the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame announced the selection of the late James B. Bexley, Lloyd R. Ferguson, William David Lacy, Victor Pierson, and Allan James Rasmussen as the 2020 Honorees. These prestigious Texas bankers will be inducted at the Eighth Annual Texas Bankers Hall of Fame Gala held on the campus of Sam Houston State University at a date to be determined.
The Texas Bankers Hall of Fame, established by the Smith-Hutson Endowed Chair of Banking at Sam Houston State University, recognizes outstanding bankers who have made valuable contributions to the banking profession and pioneered the Texas banking industry. The Honorees have truly made their industry, communities and state better places.
“Jim” B. Bexley began his banking career in 1964 when he joined Bank of the Southwest as a Trust Officer managing oil and gas properties. He rose through the ranks of the Trust Department at Bank of the Southwest and ultimately became the manager of Trust Operations. His banking career included stops at River Oaks Bank and Trust as Chief Operations Officer, Houston Southwest Bank as President & CEO, First Bank of Houston as President & CEO, Texas Commerce Bank-McAllen as Chairman & CEO, Texas Commerce Bank-Corpus Christi as Chairman & CEO, United Bank of Memphis as President & CEO and Cardinal Bancorp and First American Bank of Pennsylvania.
After retiring from Cardinal Bancorp, Bexley joined Sam Houston State University as the Smith Hutson Endowed Chair of Banking where he served for 24 years. He developed the curriculum at Sam Houston State University for the first four-year accredited BBA degree in banking and financial institutions in the United States. He also pioneered the curriculum for the University’s Executive MBA degree in banking and financial institutions. During Bexley’s tenure with the University, he helped place more than 1,000 students in internships or career positions in banking. While at the University, Bexley was awarded the Texas State University System Regents’ Award – the highest recognition given to a professor in the University System. Bexley also served as Sam Houston’s Faculty Athletics Representative for more than 20 years. In addition, he was a member of the College of Business Administration’s Advisory Board. Bexley is one of only two non-alumni in history to receive The Sam Houston State University Alumni Association Service Award.
In addition to serving at the University, Bexley served as a consultant for community banks all over the United States and was a Virtual Fellow for the U. S. State Department in the Office of Threat Finance Countermeasures, Bureau of Economic & Business Affairs. He was a former member of the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank for the Eleventh District in Dallas serving as the Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Executive Committee. In 2016, Bexley was awarded the Texas Bankers Association’s first Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a Deacon at his church and taught Sunday School for all of his adult life.
Bexley authored five books, four on banking – “Bank Management,” “The Bank Director,” “Directors Duties & Responsibilities in Financial Institutions,” and “Selling Financial Products-A Practical Guide For Successful Bank Sales.” In addition, Bexley authored or co-authored 56 professional journal articles on banking and financial services.
Bexley attended the University of Texas on a football and baseball scholarship. He served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1957 and in the Army Reserves thereafter. During his tenure in the Army, he attained the rank of Major.
Bexley was always passionate about learning and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston, a Juris Doctorate Degree from Blackstone School of Law and a Ph.D. in Bank Marketing from Stirling University in Scotland.
Bexley passed away on October 18, 2019, at the age of 85. He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years Elsie Murphy Bexley, and two children, Byron Bexley married to Debbie and Tammie Risica married to Tony, eight grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren.
Dr. Lloyd R. Ferguson was born in Charlie, Texas in 1925. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Howard Payne University, a Master’s degree from Texas Christian University and a Doctoral degree from the University of Houston. He served in the Army Air Corps as a B-17 gunman in World War II. He proudly served for twenty-seven (27) years as the Superintendent of Schools of Danbury ISD, Pearland ISD, and Clear Creek ISD.
However, he unabashedly states that his most significant professional achievement occurred in December 1959 when Dr. Ferguson and a group of local business leaders successfully organized and chartered Pearland State Bank. In 1964, Dr. Ferguson was elected Chairman of the Board, a position he continues to hold today. In 1982, he assumed the additional title of President and CEO.
In 1994 under Dr. Ferguson’s leadership, a holding company was created and the bank’s shareholders purchased First National Bank of Alvin. Upon the completion of the purchase, Dr. Ferguson was elected Chairman of the Board and CEO of First National Bank of Alvin and continues today in that position.
Both Pearland State Bank and First National Bank of Alvin have consistently been recognized as exemplary banks by numerous publications.
Dr. Ferguson enjoyed serving on the Board of TIB-The Independent BankersBank, N.A. for several years and was active in bank trade organizations.
As an active member of the Pearland Community, Dr. Ferguson was an original organizer of the Pearland Chamber of Commerce, serving as one of its first Presidents. He has been a member and served in leadership positions in the Lions Club, Rotary Club, Order of Jesters, Shriners, First United Methodist Church of Pearland and numerous other organizations.
He was married to Rosalie Briggs Ferguson for sixty-five years until her death on November 27, 2010.
William David Lacy is a fourth-generation bank president in Waco, Texas. His great grandfather, also named William David Lacy, was president of Citizens National Bank of Waco from 1909 to 1917. His grandfather was president from 1919 to 1946 and his father, Walter G. Lacy, Jr., was president from 1946 to 1971. Walter G. Lacy, Jr. was inducted into the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame in 2013.
William David Lacy has been president of Community Bank & Trust in Waco from July 1, 1999, through today. His 41-year banking career started full-time in 1979 after working seven summers prior to that date. He worked as a teller and in numerous operational areas including Audit, I.T., and Marketing, prior to becoming a commercial lender. From 1982 to 1986, he worked for RepublicBank Corporation and continued working for NationsBank through 1990. Since 1990, he has worked for Community Bank & Trust in Waco.
He has served on well over 100 boards in and around Waco, serving as president of over 50 of those boards. Some of those include the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, the Waco Industrial Foundation, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and Cook Children’s Medical Center in Ft. Worth.
Lacy served twice on the Texas Bankers Association (TBA) Board in his career, the second time he served on the TBA Executive Committee in 2015-2016. He has served in various capacities for the American Bankers Association (ABA) as well, currently serving on the ABA Core Contract Committee. His passion for banking trade association committees in recent years has been the recruitment of new talent to banking. He has been supportive of Sam Houston State University and Jim Bexley’s efforts in the past decade in this regard.
Lacy graduated from Baylor University in 1979 with a degree in Accounting and Finance and was a four-year letterman on the Baylor golf team.
He married Nancy Derrick in 1986, and they have a daughter, Carter, who resides in Austin.
Victor Pierson is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Moody Bank and Moody Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Galveston.
Vic is a stalwart supporter of education. At Southern Methodist University, for example, he chairs the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking Foundation Board of Trustees and formerly served as Dean of Bankers for the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking. At Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School Commercial Banking Program, he serves on the Advisory Board’s Executive Committee and the Board of Visitors for Texas A&M at Galveston. He also chairs the University of Texas Medical Branch President’s Cabinet and taught accounting classes for 16 years at Galveston College.
He is deeply involved in volunteer activities on local, state, and national levels. He has served as Mayor of the City of Jamaica Beach, Texas, is a Presidential appointee to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Commission, and previously was a Gubernatorial appointee to the Coastal Coordination Council.
He is a past Chairman of the Texas Bankers Association, Independent Bankers Association of Texas board member and Vice Chairman of TIB-The Independent BankersBank, N.A.
Vic was born in Abilene, grew up in Albany, Texas. He graduated from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls with an undergraduate degree in Economics and graduate studies in Finance. A student government and fraternity leader in college, he was named one of America’s Outstanding Young Men in 1980.
He entered banking in Wichita Falls and moved to Galveston in 1985 to join Moody Bank.
The Moody family pioneered Texas banking – Col. William L. Moody was granted the state’s second national banking charter in 1866 – and Vic Pierson is only the fifth chairman in the family’s 153-year banking history. Today, Moody Bank is among Texas’ largest privately owned banks. Total assets have more than doubled over the past decade, and its Trust Department is one of the largest domiciled in Texas.
Vic has played wide-ranging leadership roles in numerous organizations, including the Galveston Economic Development Partnership, the Galveston County Economic Alliance Foundation, Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Galveston, Galveston Historical Foundation, Galveston County Economic Alliance, Galveston County Mayors, and Councilmembers Association, The Grand 1894 Opera House, Galveston Island Rotary Club, Galveston Artillery Club, 50 Club of Galveston County, Prevent Blindness, Bay Area Coastal Protection Alliance, Historic Downtown Strand Seaport Partnership, Coastal Windstorm Insurance Coalition, and the Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District.
Vic and his wife, Janice, have been married for 23 years. They have three children, Frankie Touchy (Jami), Laurie Popovich, Lindsay Touchy, three grandsons, and one granddaughter.
Allan James “Jimmy” Rasmussen is in his 32nd year as President and CEO of HomeTown Bank. Rasmussen attended Sam Houston State University from 1970 to 1974. He taught business classes at Sam Houston State University as a graduate assistant and for an additional year as a member of the Department of Business faculty after completing his master’s degree in Finance.
Rasmussen began his banking career in 1975 with American Bank in Huntsville, working for Ron Mitchell and Glen Reader. He moved back to his hometown of Texas City in 1978 to work for Texas First Bank and taught night classes in local community colleges and at Texas A&M University in Galveston for more than ten years.
His community involvement includes past President and 32-year member of The Rotary Club of Galveston Island. Rasmussen also served as elected Trustee for 12 years with the Texas City Independent School District Board of Trustees. He served as the Chairman for the Texas City – La Marque Chamber of Commerce in 1987, as well as, many years on the finance committee of his church – St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal – in Texas City, Texas. Rasmussen is a past Chairman and founding board member for the Galveston Economic Development Partnership, and he presently serves on the Executive Committee.
Rasmussen was elected as a Class A Director with The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in November of 2012 for a three-year term beginning in January of 2013 and was then re-elected in November of 2015 for an additional three-year term, where he served on the Audit, Governance, and Budget Committees.
Rasmussen served as Chairman of The Independent Bankers of Texas (October 2009-2010) – the largest state association for independent community banks in America with membership comprised of more than 2,000 banks and branches in 700 Texas communities. Rasmussen is also a former Director, one of three elected members from Texas, for The Independent Community Bankers of America – the nation’s largest organization for independent community banks.
He received the Rotary Club Vocational Award for “Service in the Work Place” in 1991 and was awarded two Paul Harris Fellow recognitions from Rotary International. Rasmussen was inducted into the Texas City Independent School District Hall of Honor in 2013.
Rasmussen and his late wife, Diana, have two children— Allan Rasmussen, Jr. and Allison Rasmussen McCormick, and seven grandchildren.
