Exhibits
The Corporate Archives curates physical and digital exhibits from our collections to tell BMO’s story over the years. Our aim is to provide a better understanding of the defining moments in our history.
Celebrating America
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America. This milestone provides an opportunity to look at the growth of the country and the role BMO has played in developing and supporting local communities.
BMO’s commitment to the U.S. dates to the opening of our first agency office in New York City in 1818. It was important to BMO to have a presence in this economically thriving country. Since then, we have grown through the acquisitions of significant banking entities, including Harris Bank, Marshall & Ilsley (M&I), and Bank of the West (BOTW). This exhibit looks at the many ways BMO has lived its purpose—Boldly Grow the Good in business and life—through its evolution in the United States.
Celebrating U.S. milestones
As we look back at BMO’s growth, there are many milestones to celebrate in the U.S. Through the acquisition of N.W. Harris & Company (established in 1882, later Harris Bank) and Marshall & Ilsley (established in 1847), we created an organization that was better able to serve Americans and their families across the continental U.S. Over the years, BMO has continued to expand through the acquisition of more than 20 U.S. institutions, such as Suburban (1994), First National Bank of Joliet (2001), Mercantile Bancorp (2004), AMCORE (2010), and Bank of the West (2023). We also celebrate our history in the U.S. with achievements like our entry to the New York Stock Exchange in 1994.
A history of charitable actions
BMO has a long history of supporting our communities. In 1915, N.W. Harris (founder of Harris Bank) and the Board of Directors of the Harris Trust and Savings Bank created the Chicago Community Trust. This was a foundation that served Chicago and its surrounding communities. The Harris Bank Foundation was born in 1953, a not-for-profit membership corporation gifting donations to local institutions, such as Chicago Youths Centers and the Field Museum of Natural History.
As our footprint has grown through the years, so has our impact. In 2024, BMO made US$74.7 million in philanthropic contributions to hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations across North America. BMO colleagues contributed more than US$28 million in donations through our annual employee giving campaigns.
Supporting U.S. growth
BMO is made up of several legacy banks—such as Harris Bank, Marshall & Ilsley, and Bank of the West—which have a history of providing banking services to better support economic growth. These institutions focused on serving local communities by providing products and services that supported American business and encouraged the development of better local infrastructure.
Today, BMO provides loans and financing to better stimulate economic growth and investment in local communities. In 2023, we announced BMO EMpower 2.0, a five-year, $40+ billion commitment to help more individuals, families, businesses, and communities in the U.S. make real financial progress. This initiative drives economic growth through financial solutions and community programs that expand access to capital, make homeownership more affordable, support small business growth, and strengthen financial literacy.
Vintage ads from our U.S. markets
Advertisements are windows into our past, showing how we created connections with our customers over time. These vintage advertisements from the last 100 years show the relatable ways in which institutions, such as Harris Bank, Marshall & Ilsley, and The First National Bank of San Jose (which later became Bank of the West), connected with their local customer base. Notice the iconic Harris Bank advertisement featuring Gary Coleman and Hubert from 1977!