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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: BRIGHTWELL, Henry Platt
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
September 26, 1999
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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative
Citizens
W.S. Laidley
Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL.
1911
p. 424
HENRY PLATT BRIGHTWELL, who holds the responsible position of secretary to
the Hon. William E. Glasscock, governor of West Virginia, is one of the
rising young public men of the state. He was born- in Prince Edward County,
Va., about thirty-five years ago, and is a son of Henry C. and Elizabeth
(Pollard) Brightwell. His father died in i888; his mother is now over sixty
years of age and is a resident of Bedford City, Va. Their children were as
follows: Carrie B., who is the wife of J. W. Hopkins, resides in Bed-ford,
Va., and has three children; Maude, the wife of Robert Lee Quarles, is also a
resident of Bedford City, and has three children; Hen-ry Platt, who is the
direct subject of this sketch; and Edward Walker, cashier of the Capital City
Bank, of Charleston, who is a graduate of Randolph Macon Seminary, and is
unmarried.
Henry Platt Brightwell was reared and acquired his early education in Bedford
City, Bedford County, Va. He completed his literary education in the
Randolph-Macon Academy, which he entered while yet in his "teens;" and soon
afterwards became identified with the banking interests of his native state,
being thus engaged there from 1893 to 1896, and acquiring a good knowledge of
financial meth-ods. In the year last mentioned he came to Charleston, W.
Va., becoming associated with the Charleston National Bank of Charleston. A
few years later he organized the Richwood Bank and Trust Company, at
Richwood, W. Va., which was the first bank in that place, he becoming its
cashier and manager. This institution proved a success and has since
pros-pered. After three years, however, Mr. Bright-well resigned his position
with the bank to become assistant cashier of the Kanawha Banking and Trust
Company of Charleston, W. Va., which position he resigned in January, 1910,
to become assistant banking commissioner of the -State of West Virginia, the
duties of which office are to make periodical examination of the condition of
the various state banks, making it a very responsible position. After'
filling it capably for six months, he resigned in order to become bank
exami~ner of national banks for the United States government, mak-ing his
reports directly to the comptroller of currency at Washington, D. C. In this
position also he proved his ability and gained more valuable experience in
financial matters. He resigned as national bank examiner December 1, 1910,
to assume the duties of secretary to the governor. In this position he has
once more proved himself equal to high responsibility, handling intricate
situations with the skill of a real diplomat, showing everready tact and
efficiency, and relieving the Governor of much arduous labor.
Mr. Brightwell was married in Morgantown, W. Va., December 3, 1903, to
Frances Russell White, who was born in that place. Mrs. Brightwell was
educated in her native town, at LaSalle Seminary, Boston, Mass., and at
National Park Seminary, Washington, D. C. With her husband, she is
prominent in the social circles of Charleston and is affiliated religiously
with the Episcopal church. Mr. and Mrs. Brightwell are the parents of two
children-Frances Pollard, born December 29, 1905, and Elizabeth Morehead,
born January
28, 1907.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
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