W. R. Vermilye

Col. Washington Romeyn Vermilye (September 29, 1810 – December 23, 1876) was an American banker who served as president of the New York Stock Exchange.

Early life Vermilye was born in Harlem in New York City on September 29, 1810. He was a son of Mary (née Montgomery) Vermilye (1782–1847), who was of Irish Montgomery lineage, and William W. Vermilye (1780–1849), a venerated elder in the Presbyterian Church. Among his siblings were bankers William Montgomery Vermilye and Jacob Dykeman Vermilye (husband of Mary Cornelia Lathrop), and prominent clergyman, the Rev. Drs. Thomas E. Vermilye and Robert G. Vermilye. In 1873, he wrote to President Ulysses S. Grant regarding the suspension of General Thomas B. Van Buren from his position as U.S. Commissioner to the Vienna Exhibition.

Banking career In 1849, along with his eldest brother William Montgomery Vermilye and George Carpenter, he founded the firm of Carpenter & Vermilye, which became one of the most prominent banking houses in New York City and was known for selling war bonds during the U.S. Civil War. In 1921, the firm was again renamed as Dillon, Read & Co. to include partner Clarence Dillon. In 1991, it was acquired by Barings Bank and, in 1997, it was acquired by Swiss Bank Corporation, which was in turn acquired by UBS in 1998. After his death, his son took over his interest in W.R. Vermilye & Co.

A member of the New York Stock Exchange and its board of governors, he served as president of the Exchange from 1861 to 1862 during the Civil War. Elizabeth's sister, Mary Lathrop, was married to Rev. William Buell Sprague and both were granddaughters of the Rev. Joseph Lathrop, one of the most distinguished clergymen the country. Together, W.R. and Elizabeth were the parents of six children, including: a banker and civil engineer who married Hattie Amelye Comstock in 1861. Samuel Lathrop Vermilye (b. 1839), who died young. Arthur Montgomery Vermilye (1849–1853), who died young. In his will, he left significant funds to charities and created trusts for the benefit of his siblings and their children. He also set aside $200,000 "for the continuation of the banking business of Vermilye & Co., on Nassau street."