J. Pierpont Morgan is arguably the most famous banker in American history, but he was not the founder of the House of Morgan. J. Pierpont had a colossal impact on American banking and commerce because he was carefully nurtured and artfully groomed for the role by his father, Junius Spencer Morgan. The story of Junius is not a rags-to-riches tale; his father was the founder of Aetna Insurance Co. But Junius went into banking and became America’s leading banker in Europe, where he learned his craft under the tutelage of George Peabody before establishing the firm of J.S. Morgan & Co., the predecessor to the House of Morgan. Junius was a risk taker; however, he was a great analyst combining vision with pragmatism. Junius served as a great mentor for his son and the story of father and son is the tale of the founding of one of America’s greatest dynasties. [1,335-word Titans of Fortune article]
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