It's our 120th birthday
And this year, we're celebrating all year long.
On March 23, 2023, Simmons Bank celebrates 120 years of serving the communities where we live. As a part of that anniversary, we want to say "thank you" to the customers and community partners who’ve supported us for more than a century. Below, take a look back at our memories of the last 120 years. Join in the celebrations all year long by signing up to receive more information on product promotions and other special offers!
Simmons Bank through the years.
We were born 120 years ago in a small town called Pine Bluff, Arkansas. We've grown from a single, Main Street branch with first day deposits of just over $3,000, to a publicly traded corporation with over $27 billion in assets - employing more than 3,200 associates across six states. We are a community bank with scale, taking as much pride in customer relationships as we do in our extensive products and services.
But this type of growth doesn't happen over night. To reflect on our 120 year history, we've highlighted a few of our favorite milestones and achievements below:
1903
Open for business
On the corner of 2nd Avenue and Main Street in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, we were founded by physician Dr. John Franklin Simmons. We opened the doors to Simmons National Bank for the first time with four associates. We had a first day’s deposits of $3,338.22 at the close of business 120 years ago.
1922
Trust Department opens
As we approached 20 years in the banking business, we were ready to expand. In 1922, our Trust Department swung open their doors to help our community and are still here today ready to serve!
1930
Moving on up
About 27 years after our founding, we had outgrown our office space and moved into a new 11-story building! We enjoy looking back at the occasion and how the community welcomed this moment by filling the lobby with flowers.
1933
Reopening after the Great Depression
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, our community along with the nation suffered tremendously. We were one of the first Arkansas banks that were able to reopen, without restrictions, after the federally imposed “bank holiday” during this time.
1940s
Lasting memories
This beautiful vintage postcard showcases our 11-story Main Street building in downtown Pine Bluff. Customers and community members could send messages as well as share a snapshot of one of the tallest buildings on Main Street!
1953
It’s time to drive-thru
After 50 years of banking, it was time to mix it up! Cars were more common and at Simmons, drive-in banking became a reality. We started by introducing our customers to what drive-in banking could look like, then we never looked back!
1960
It’s first, Simmons First
In 1960 at an annual stakeholders meeting, our board voted to change the name of the institution from Simmons National Bank of Pine Bluff to Simmons First National Bank of Pine Bluff. Shortly thereafter the logo that is still used today was adopted.
1967
First Arkansas bank to offer a credit card
In the mid-60s, credit cards increased in popularity and by 1967, we proudly offered the first credit card in Arkansas to our customers. We’ve kept the momentum going and now offer a full suite of credit cards – many of them award-winning!
1974
The first ATM transaction
The 70s brought automation for customers with our first ATM in Pine Bluff, referred to as a Money Machine. We’ve grown quite a bit since then and now have over 200 ATM locations in six states! Just 10 years later in 1984, we had another big first! Simmons First customer Mary Stone was the first customer in the world to make an international ATM transaction. The transaction in Australia traveled 31,000 miles in six seconds.
1982
Simmons buys its first computer
By the 1980s, we were ready to start digitizing! In 1982, we purchased our first personal computer from Radio Shack. The computer in this picture is from a few years earlier and is an IBM model.
1992
Simmons First National Corporation begins trading
In the early 1990s, it was time to hit Wall Street and in 1992 Simmons First National Corporation stock began trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange. This photo is from 2005 when then-Chairman Tommy May went back to open the market on our 13th anniversary of becoming a publicly traded company.
2008
Weathers the financial crisis
Three years into the millennium, we were celebrating our 100th birthday! But a few years later in 2008 there was a global financial crisis. Many banks and financial institutions needed government assistance in the form of a financial bailout. We were fortunate and able to maintain operations without any government financial assistance.
2010
Mergers and acquisitions begin
At the start of the new decade, we knew it was time to expand our community. In 2010, we acquired Southwest Community Bank in Springfield, Missouri and Security Savings Bank FSB in Olathe, Kansas. Throughout the rest of the decade, we acquired 12 more financial institutions and our community grew to cover six states with more than 200 locations!