Robert H. Driscoll Biography


	This biography appears on pages 70-73 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				ROBERT H. DRISCOLL.  

	The First National Bank of Lead is one of the leading moneyed 
institutions of that city and much of the credit for its steady growth 
is due to Robert H. Driscoll, its cashier, who was born in Lowell, 
Massachusetts, on the 1st of July, 1857, a son of C. and Catharine 
(Costello) Driscoll, natives of Ireland and Boston respectively. The 
father was a manufacturer of hats and was well known in the trade. Both 
he and his wife have passed away.  

	Robert H. Driscoll was reared in Salem and was graduated from the 
high school of that city in 1877. Four years later he received the 
Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard. After leaving college he became 
an instructor in Greek and Latin in an academy at Pittsfield, 
Massachusetts, where he remained for one year. In 1882 he came west and 
taught school at Spencer, Iowa. In 1883 he came to South Dakota as 
principal of the public schools of Lead, in which capacity he served 
for three years, making a most commendable record In 1887 he was 
elected the first auditor of Lawrence county, and two years later 
became clerk of courts of the county, which office he held for five 
years. At the time of his last reelection he was a candidate on three 
tickets, democrat, republican and populist. In the meantime he had 
studied law and in 1893 was admitted to the bar of South Dakota. In 
1894 he resigned as clerk of the courts and became cashier of the First 
National Bank of Lead and in the intervening twenty years has capably 
managed the affairs of that institution. In 1893 the total footings of 
the bank were two hundred and thirty thousand five hundred dollars and 
in 1915 they were two million two hundred and twenty-four thousand six 
hundred and seventy-eight dollars, which remarkable growth is the best 
proof of the wise management of Mr. Driscoll and the other 
administrative officers. He is justly considered one of the leaders in 
financial circles of Lead and his long experience has made his 
knowledge of banking authoritative. He is a director and vice president 
of the Wasp No. 2 Mining Company of Deadwood, South Dakota, and is also 
interested in a number of other companies.  

	In September, 1886, Mr. Driscoll was married in Houghton, South 
Dakota, to Miss Catharine Barry and to this union were born four 
children. Robert E., whose birth occurred in 1888, is an employee of 
the First National Bank of Lead. He was graduated from the University 
of Michigan and studied the problems of business in its larger aspects 
at Harvard University, from which he took the degree of Master of 
Business Administration. Thomas Allan and Catharine are both deceased. 
James Lowell is a student in the University of Michigan.  

	Mr. Driscoll is a republican and for many years has been active 
and influential in local polities. In 1896 he was assistant sergeant at 
arms in the republican convention at St. Louis, which nominated William 
McKinley for president, and was a delegate to the Chicago convention 
1904, which nominated Roosevelt as the party's standard bearer. He has 
been vice president of the South Dakota Bankers Association and at 
present is a member of the executive committee of that body, which 
recognition from his colleagues attests the esteem in which he is held 
by the banking fraternity of the state. He is a member of a number of 
secret societies and also belongs to the Rocky Mountain Club of New 
York, known as the "Eastern Home of Western Men." His New England 
training and education developed in him habits of accuracy and 
thoroughness, and these qualities have been large factors in his 
success in life. He combines strict integrity in all of his dealings 
with unusual astuteness and soundness of judgment and has become one of 
the representative men of the Black Hills district He is a close reader 
and student, continually broadening his general knowledge and gaining a 
deeper insight into the problems that most closely affect him as a 
banker. He realizes the fact that the nerve vigor and energy so 
essential to worthy achievement depend primarily upon the physical 
condition, and through hygienic living and regular exercise maintains 
his physical efficiency at par.