Mills Lane (banker)
Encyclopedia
Mills B. Lane, Jr. was a banker in Atlanta, Georgia
.
He was born in Savannah, Georgia
, and after graduating from Yale University
in 1934 took a job as a clerk at a Citizens & Southern National Bank
(C&S) branch in Valdosta, Georgia
. The bank had been founded by Lane's father in 1906 and when the senior Lane died in 1946, Lane, Jr., became the bank's president.
As president of C&S, Mills Lane funded the design and construction of Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr.'s dream of a new baseball stadium for the city of Atlanta. The site was a recently cleared slum, then known as Washington-Rawson, and Atlanta Stadium was completed a mere twelve months after a handshake deal between Lane and the Milwaukee Braves' owners. The rush was to ensure that the 1965 season could be played in the new stadium, but a lawsuit brought by Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, delayed the start of baseball in Atlanta until April, 1966.
Lane's other famous building project was his new bank headquarters, the cylindrical C&S tower at West Peachtree and North Avenue, which was eventually demolished to make room for the western expansion of the Bank of America Plaza
.
When Lane retired in 1973, C&S was the largest bank in the South. Lane returned to Savannah, where he remained until his death.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
He was born in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, and after graduating from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1934 took a job as a clerk at a Citizens & Southern National Bank
Citizens & Southern National Bank
Citizens and Southern National Bank began as a Georgia institution that expanded into South Carolina, Florida and into other states via mergers. C&S became part of NationsBank in 1991 when NationsBank bought newly merged C&S/Sovran...
(C&S) branch in Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
. The bank had been founded by Lane's father in 1906 and when the senior Lane died in 1946, Lane, Jr., became the bank's president.
As president of C&S, Mills Lane funded the design and construction of Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr.'s dream of a new baseball stadium for the city of Atlanta. The site was a recently cleared slum, then known as Washington-Rawson, and Atlanta Stadium was completed a mere twelve months after a handshake deal between Lane and the Milwaukee Braves' owners. The rush was to ensure that the 1965 season could be played in the new stadium, but a lawsuit brought by Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, delayed the start of baseball in Atlanta until April, 1966.
Lane's other famous building project was his new bank headquarters, the cylindrical C&S tower at West Peachtree and North Avenue, which was eventually demolished to make room for the western expansion of the Bank of America Plaza
Bank of America Plaza (Atlanta)
Bank of America Plaza is a skyscraper located in the SoNo district of Atlanta, Georgia. At the tower is the 53rd-tallest building in the world. When it first opened, it was the 9th tallest building in the world, and 6th tallest building in the United States...
.
When Lane retired in 1973, C&S was the largest bank in the South. Lane returned to Savannah, where he remained until his death.