Ed
Massey '64 published his first book in June 2009, a
novel entitled Telluride Promise based on a
true story of a Depression-era banker. The book can
be bought on Amazon by
clicking here.
See a video in which Ed describes the book. Then
read on.
SEE THE VIDEO
For those of you who were too distracted by the
interviewer to listen to a word that Ed said, here's
a description of the novel's plot.
A little man in a small mining town did the right
thing for people who trusted him with their money
and went to jail for it. A banker, Charles C.
("Buck") Wain, foresaw the depression. Six weeks
before the crash, C.C. set in motion his plan to
protect his depositors by arranging for a "loan"
from New York banks.
Pursued by the ambitious, rich, and powerful,
brought to trial on charges that were not actually
for the crime he committed, he pled guilty partly to
protect his family and friends from further
harassment, but mostly because it didn't seem right
just to beat the system. ("I took that money. That
was the only way I could get it to pay out my
depositors.")
Six years later — three months before FDR made
his crime the law of the land by signing the
National Banking Act — he was released from prison.
He tells his story from the vantage point of his
last days as an obscure Fuller Brush man of 83.
Ed is currently the owner of
Next Generation Companies, a firm based in
Greenwich CT that provides strategic financial
advice to high-net-worth families. His 40-year
career has included senior positions at U.S.
HomeCare Corporation, Ropart Group, and McKinsey & Company.
