James Blanchard Clews

Clews was born in Dunkirk in Chautauqua County, New York on August 4, 1859.^[1] He was a son of John Clews (1826–1862) and Sabina (née Dayman) Clews (1830–1912). His older brother was John Henry Clews, who also became a banker.^[2]

His uncle was the prominent financier and author Henry Clews.^[3] Among his many cousins were Elsie Clews Parsons (wife of U.S. Representative Herbert Parsons)^[4] and artist Henry Clews Jr., who lived at the Château de la Napoule in France.^[5] His paternal grandparents were Bessie (née Kendrick) Clews and James Clews, a prosperous manufacturer of Staffordshire ware.^[3]

He graduated from Chamberlain College in Randolph, New York in 1888.^[2]

He received his business training in the general offices of the Red Line Transit Company and of the Union Steamboat Company of Buffalo, New York where he learned the railroad and transportation business.^[2] He later became president of the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Michigan Railway Company during its reorganization. He served as chairman of the Ontario and Western Railroad Stockholder's Committee, which succeeded in dissolving the Voting Trust after years of failed attempts. He served as chairman of the board of the Standard Cordage, president of the Cannabis Manufacturing Company, director of the Irving Publishing Company and the New Amsterdam Casualty Company. He was also a trustee of the East River Savings Institution and a governor of the Northwest Dispensary.^[2]

He became a partner in his uncle's financial firm known as Henry Clews & Co. After the death of his uncle Henry in 1923, he succeeded as senior partner of Henry Clews & Co., located at 15 Broad Street in lower Manhattan.^[2]