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William R. Dorris Looks Toward Banking In 1903 William R. Dorris turned his attention to banking. O’Fallon’s prior experience with banks had been painful. A private bank owned by Henry Seiter of Lebanon, with a branch in O’Fallon, went bankrupt in 1894. Local citizens felt that a progressive community needed a sound financial institution. To that end, the First National Bank of O’Fallon was founded in 1903 by 38—year old pharmacist Ernest H. Smiley and 19 other stockholders, including W. R. Dorris, and was dedicated to careful and conservative banking principles. Smiley was first President and Dorris was first Cashier. Dorris worked at the bank until his retirement in 1961, having been President of the bank for many years and also Chairman of the Board. Throughout his life he kept active in community affairs. Shortly after joining the bank, he served as a member, and then President, of the Board of Education. He was a member and often an officer of numerous professional and civic organizations. When the O’Fallon Woman’s Club——his wife, Alice, was a charter member——established O’Fallon’s first public library in 1930, W. R. Dorris was issued library card number 2. He was a member of the 1st Methodist Church and was an active Mason. He was an avid sport fan and made many fishing trips to Minnesota and Arkansas. He and his wife traveled extensively in the U.S. and made two trips to Europe——1924 and 1926.
Alice Dorris died in 1954 of a stroke after an extended illness. W. R. Dorris died shortly after his 94th birthday in 1967 of a heart attack at his home at 501 N. Cherry. They had no children. Among the numerous bequests listed in his will was a gift of $5000 to the McKendree College Library, and $2500 and his personal library of several hundred volumes, to the O’Fallon Public Library.
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