Studies Illuminate the History of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Banking System, and Bank Supervision

WASHINGTON — The international publisher, Routledge, today released Banking Modern America: Studies in Regulatory History, a collection of essays providing unique perspective on the history of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the federal banking system, and bank supervision.

Essays included in the book were solicited by the OCC in 2012 as part of efforts to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the National Currency Act of 1863.

“The OCC treasures its long history because it has so much to teach us about who we are and how we arrived at the present,” said Comptroller Thomas J. Curry. “This collection of essays advances our understanding of the development of national banking and bank supervision, but it also offers lessons for us to consider as we face the supervisory challenges of the 21^st century.”

Edited by OCC historian Jesse Stiller, the essays cover a wide range of subjects written by noted experts in law, history, economics, numismatics, and finance. The collection explores the difficulties of standing up a new banking, currency, and regulatory system during the height of the Civil War. Other essays look at what life was like for examiners operating in banks on the country’s remote frontiers and the extent that they were able to achieve the goal of a safe and sound system of national banks. Several of the essays shine light on questions of major contemporary significance, including regulatory independence, federal–state relationships, and the financial crisis of 2008. This multidisciplinary approach provides a unique perspective on the history of the OCC and the federal banking system.

Banking Modern America: Studies in Regulatory History is available in hard copy and e-book versions from the publisher’s website, www.routledge.com and other booksellers around the world.

Related Link

• Banking Modern America: Studies in Regulatory History