In 1981, Delaware and banking were not yet synonymous — which is kind of a strange thought, since banks, Delaware and the ’80s are inseparably intertwined.
How did banking in Delaware go from a minor industry to a booming one in so little time? It was a piece of legislation called the Financial Banking Services Act, signed by Gov. Pete du Pont 38 years ago this week.
https://www.facebook.com/DelawarePublicArchives/photos/a.10151218634131995/10157250590431995/?type=3
By 1983, 40,000 banking jobs had been created.
The act would change Delaware forever. It still resonates, with banking and fintech continuing to be major industries in the state — even as the face of the industry has evolved.
Ben du Pont, who is Pete’s son, cofounder of Zip Code Wilmington and a prominent member of the Delaware tech community, took to Facebook on Sunday to remind us of the impact of the act, pointing out that the bipartisan effort was the result of thinking like a “pie baker,” not a “pie slicer”:
https://www.facebook.com/ben.dupont.56/posts/10216871336749043
It does feel like it’s been a while since something made such an impact in Delaware (in a good way). So, what’s the next big thing?
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