Harry Blackwell Brock Jr., a giant of the banking industry and stalwart trustee of Samford University for more than 50 years, died July 29. He was 89.
In 1964, Brock and a group of his friends opened the first new bank in Birmingham in 18 years. He was instrumental in the passage of the Statewide Bank Merger bill in 1980, allowing branching across county lines.
Brock served as chairman and CEO of Compass Bancshares from 1987 until his retirement in 1991.
He was named to the Samford board of trustees in 1962 and served for 53 years, including four years (1985–1989) as chairman. He was elected a life trustee in 1992. Samford’s business school was renamed as the Brock School of Business in 2007.
“For those of you who have been around Samford for several years, you are aware of Mr. Brock’s legendary efforts to lend support to this institution,” said Samford President Andrew Westmoreland. “While he wasn’t a Samford graduate, he adopted this place as his own and thousands of individuals have benefitted as a result.”
Brock was a graduate of the Tennessee Military Institute and the University of Alabama and held a certificate from the American Institute of Banking. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
He is survived by his wife, Jane; three children; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
(Samford, TAB)
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