Edward L. Norton

For engineer and scientist Edward L. Norton, please see Edward Lawry Norton.

Edward L. Norton
Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
In office
September 2, 1950 – February 1, 1952
PresidentHarry S. Truman
Preceded byErnest G. Draper
Succeeded byJames Robertson
Personal details
Born(1892-06-13)June 13, 1892
DiedApril 12, 1966(1966-04-12) (aged 73)
EducationBirmingham Southern College
University of Alabama (JD)

Edward Lee Norton (June 3, 1892 – April 12, 1966) was an American banker that was a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from September 2, 1950 until February 1, 1952.

Early life and career

Norton was born in Blountsville, Alabama, in 1892. He had earned his bachelor of science degree from Birmingham-Southern College in 1913. From 1913 to 1914, he was a student at the University of Alabama and would return to Birmingham-Southern College for this doctorate in law LL.D..[1] In 1915, he had started at the Munger family of companies as a private secretary to R.S. Munger of Munger Realty and, in 1924, he was promoted to executive vice president. In 1926, he became executive vice president of Munger Mortgage Company. In 1939, he left the mortgage company to accept his appointment as chairman of the board of the Birmingham branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.[2]

Prior to his Federal Reserve Board of Governors position, he had held the following positions:[3]

  • President of the Birmingham Baseball Club
  • Chairman of the board of the Florida Broadcasting Company of Jacksonville, Florida

In 1952, he married Edna Corrine Troy.[4]

Edward L. Norton died of heart attack in his Birmingham, Alabama home on April 12, 1966.[5]

Career

Norton was appointed to the Board of Governors by President Harry Truman in 1950. He later resigned in 1952 to pursue business interests. Norton had written the following in his resignation letter to the president:[6]

Since you are the inspiration or source of my appointment to the Board of Governors, I feel deeply indebted to you, and I covet the opportunity to reciprocate.

After leaving his position as governor, he later became chairman of the board and principal shareholder of the Voice of Alabama Inc., which had operated the following stations and/or corporations:[1][7]

On November 17, 1953, he was one of the 31 first members of the board of trustees of the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship, Inc.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b "Our Respect To: (In Memoriam)" (PDF). Broadcasting: Telecasting. May 21, 1951.
  2. ^ Federal Reserve History: Edward L. Norton
  3. ^ "ALABAMAN NAMED TO RESERVE BOARD; Truman Picks E.L. Norton for 14 Years--Reorganization Positions Are Filled". The New York Times. 1950-05-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-07-19.
  4. ^ "MARR_Edward Lee Norton to Mrs. Edna Corrine RICHARDS Troy_1952". The Birmingham News. 1952-10-18. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
  5. ^ "Student newspaper of Birmingham-Southern College, October 1, 1965 - May 13, 1966". 1966-04-15. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  6. ^ Norton Resignation Letter to President Truman
  7. ^ a b "Telecasting Yearbook 1952" (PDF).
  8. ^ "WAPI-AM 1070 kHz - Birmingham, AL". radio-locator.com. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
  9. ^ "Faded Signals: Birmingham's WAFM-TV signed on in 1949 as the sister station of WAPI-AM and WAFM-FM (now WJOX)".
  10. ^ "Board of trustees of Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship, Inc | Harry S. Truman". www.trumanlibrary.gov. Retrieved 2025-07-19.