History of Southwest National Bank
Southwest National Bank’s original bank charter was granted to L. S. Naftzger on March 15, 1915 to do business as Southwest State Bank. After eight years of operation, Southwest State Bank received authority to expand its operation as a national bank and remains today as one of only three banks in Wichita to survive the Great Depression of 1929.
The Naftzger family’s prominence in the Wichita financial community began in 1886 when L. S. Naftzger sold his banking business in Warsaw, Missouri to come to Wichita, a booming "Cow Town". Heralded far and wide was the fact that from June, 1886 to June, 1887, ten million dollars had been spent on improvements in Wichita. Twenty-six hundred buildings had been erected and in that year the population jumped from 20,129 to 31,760. At the end of this year, there were six banks in Wichita. In this dramatic period of growth, L. S. Naftzger opened a law office at 414 East Douglas. Besides practicing law, Mr. Naftzger purchased shares in The Fourth National Bank (now Bank of America) and ultimately became President of The Fourth National Bank in 1892, a position he held for 18 years. In 1910 Mr. Naftzger and his sons M.C. (Clif) and Fred D. sold their banking interests at the Fourth, until in 1915 they organized and became the principal officers of the Southwest State Bank.
When the panic hit in 1929, there were 13 banks in Wichita. Only six banks reopened and by 1936 another period of growth began in Wichita. By this time, M.C. (Clif) Naftzger had become President, following the death of his father. Keeping abreast with the rapidly expanding city and continuing a tradition of pioneering, Southwest became the first Wichita bank to heavily promote an Installment Loan Department for consumer and auto financing. In January 1957, Southwest was the first Wichita bank to raise interest paid on savings accounts to 3%. And in 1960, Southwest opened Wichita’s first downtown detached Motor Bank.
By this time Clif Naftzger’s son John was actively involved in the bank’s management. In 1960 John Naftzger announced plans to move his bank from its original facility at 326 East Douglas to a new banking house of traditional Williamsburg colonial architecture complimented by furnishings representative of the era. This unique building which continues as Southwest’s main bank today was completed in 1964. In 1975, when Wichita’s old City Library was converted to the Omnisphere, the historic 60 year old mural by Arthur Sinclair Covey was rescued by the Naftzger family, restored and installed in the main lobby of the downtown bank. The Covey mural, which measures 7’ by 60’, depicts the "Spirit of Kansas". The bank invites all citizens of our community to enjoy this priceless piece of Wichita’s heritage.
To better serve the expanding city, Southwest built its first branch near Towne West at Tracy and Taft in 1980. This was followed in 1984 by construction of a Towne East facility at 225 S. Armour in 1984.
In 1989, after three generations of Naftzger ownership and management, the Naftzger family sold Southwest National Bank to V. Jerry Blue, a Wichita Businessman who also owned the Twin Lakes Bank & Trust. And then in September 2004, Mr. Blue decided to merge Southwest National Bank and Twin Lakes National Bank under the Southwest name. Under Mr. Blue’s leadership, Southwest has prospered and presently is one of the few banks in Wichita with the respected 5 star rating from Bankrate.com.