brown mouse (broun mous) n. 1. Affectionate term for the 1969 edition of "Comptroller's Handbook of Examination Procedure," so named because of its brown cover, a.k.a. brown rat. 2. A small, furry rodent of the family Muridae or Cricetidae, as the common house mouse, brown in color, with a long naked tail.

The first official law book that I received from the OCC (I started in 1975) was affectionately called the "Blue Goose." It was a large three-ring binder with a baby blue cover and white lettering. It contained all the relevant laws, regulations and interpretations in effect at the time.

The Blue Goose was replaced by a big Black Binder that matched the "new procedures" books in the early 1980s. The Black Binder never had the personality of the Blue Goose.

Today I can find just about anything I need, whether it is a legal quote or reference, a description of an examination area or risk category or a specific procedure, all in one location - on one little compact disk!

Submitted by Marilyn E. Dalfino, NBE, New York, NY

The "white rat" was the examination handbook for trust department exams in the era of the brown mouse. Trust examiners were a separate work force then. They did not interact, and in many cases, did not even recognize regular examiners when they saw one another while examining the same bank.

Submitted by Charlie Lambert, OCC retired

James H. Eckels was 35 years old when he was appointed comptroller of the currency. Secretary of the Treasury Lyman J. Gage commented that "there was not much to Eckels," referring to the new comptroller's small stature. "But what little there was was three-quarters brains," Gage addded.

Eckels endured the Panic of 1893, when more than 100 national banks closed their doors.

No Garden State Stunt

One historic day in 1973, 31 women walked into the $165-million-asset United National Bank in Plainfield, New Jersey, to perform a “surprise” examination for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

This was the first all-female bank examination crew to examine a national bank. The event reflected the philosophy of the newly appointed Comptroller of the Currency James E. Smith to bring more women into the examining force. The

team, led by Barbara McGill, was comprised of five other commissioned examiners, 23 assistant examiners, and two financial interns, the latter being collegians working part-time.

To make up the team Charles Van Horn, administrator of the Second National Bank Region that included New Jersey, used each of the 31 women belonging to his field staff of 232.

"This is not a stunt," Van Horn said in his New York headquarters. "We are using a group of women for a surprise audit to show they are efficient and quite able to handle such a job by themselves."

Considering that his office hired its first woman bank examiner in 1964, using women for the Plainfield examination indicated how far they had advanced in the business, Van Horn said.

More "Memwaws" from Texas

Here's another excerpt from "'Memwaws' of Preacher Knight: The next to the last old time national bank examiners in Texas." National Bank Examiner Paschal Brantley “Preacher” Knight wrote the memoirs on “Old Blessed,” his manual typewriter, before retiring from the OCC in 1979.

The carrying case of Old Blessed was covered with pasted-on one-liners that bankers and other people furnished during the years, plus the ones that I picked up myself. It was the first thing that bankers wanted to see after we got in the bank and all settled. Bankers would drift into the directors' room and would read Old Blessed's face to see what was new. Old Blessed started out with one big bold saying in the middle of the typewriter case, "Blessed Is He Who Has Collateral For He Shall Be Paid." It wasn't until years later that C. Willard Houser, a senior vice president with City National Bank, Austin, added the word "Good" before collateral.

Here are a few of my favorite "post-it" expressions and, as best I can recall, who added them:

"You can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets."

"No bank examiner ever injured his eyesight by looking on the BRIGHT side of things."

"Mr. Margin and Mr. Equity are your two best collectors." Joe Long, banker and lawyer, Austin, TX.

Check back here for more installments from the Preacher’s “Memwaws.”