Presidents: 1906 to 1981

First President D.H. Warlick		Second President Dr. O.J. Corpening		Third President J.W. Hoke
Fourth President W.E. Poovey		Fifth President A.A. Cline		Sixth President T.E. Poovey

John A. Forlines, Jr. Seventh President and Board Chairman

During Bank of Granite's first 48 years of operation, there were six presidents, all local citizens successful in their own endeavors, who filled the office through a sense of duty.

They were D.H. Warlick, Dr. O.J. Corpening, J.W. Hoke, W.E. Poovey, A.A. Cline, and T.E. Poovey.

When then bank was purchased in 1954, the new directors brought in John A. Forlines, Jr. from Durham, N.C., a dynamic person with wide business and financial experience, including four years as a financial officer with the Army during World War II.

In the past 27 years, under the leadership of Forlines as president and chairman of the board of directors, the bank has experienced an outstanding growth. In addition to its five offices, it now shows over 700 stockholders, mostly local citizens, and resources of over $57 million.

Over the years Forlines has brought prominence to the bank in many ways. He is past president of the North Carolina Bankers Association. He has held a number of high level positions with the American Bankers Association. In March of 1980 he appeared on the cover of United States Banker and was featured in the magazine's lead story concerning community banking.

His service to his community, Catawba Valley and the State, are well know. He is presently serving as a trustee of Duke University. But his first love, next to his wife Julia, is Bank of Granite.