Allen, Eliza
c.1840-after 1910 · Contribution: 1888
Only woman listed on the founding charter of the first chartered African American-owned bank in the United States
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
As the only woman on the founding charter of the True Reformers Savings Bank in 1888, Allen holds a foundational place in the history of Black women's involvement in American banking, predating Maggie Lena Walker's own bank by 15 years.
Life & background
Allen was the only woman listed on the charter of the True Reformers Savings Bank, founded in 1888 and recognized as the first chartered African American-owned bank in the United States, a foundational milestone in Black banking history that predated Maggie Lena Walker's St. Luke Penny Savings Bank by 15 years.
Sources
- Garrett-Scott, *Banking on Freedom* (2019)
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