Victory Savings Bank

The Victory Savings Bank was established in 1921 by president I.J. Joseph and vice presidents I.S. Leevy and C.E. Stephenson. Victory Savings Bank was the first black-owned bank in South Carolina. Under president Dr. Henry Dobbins Monteith, who served from 1951 until 1979, the bank became the lending institution for members of the South Carolina NAACP targeted during the “economic squeeze” that began in 1955. The NAACP, as well as state civic groups like the Shriners, made large deposits over the next several years to aid farmers and businessmen impacted by boycotts led by White Citizens Councils. The bank became South Carolina Community Bank in 1999 and then Optus Bank in 2018.

Location: Columbia, South Carolina

Author: chris

1 thought on “Victory Savings Bank

Leave a Reply to Bennett Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *