Robert Russell Pope Jr.

Pope was born in Oxford, Alabama, on June 16, 1931, the son of Robert Russell Pope, Sr. and Annie Allen Pope. His father was Mayor of Oxford and a ticket agent for Southern Railroad when he was born. He was the fourth child of six and the only son. The others were Rosemary Pope Davis, Jane Ellen Pope, Betty Joyce Plogger, Peggy Ann Stamper, and Barbara Jean Craig.

Pope graduated from Calhoun County High School in 1949. After graduating from high school, Pope received a call from the Executive Vice President and Cashier of the First National Bank of Anniston, inviting him for an interview on the recommendation of his high school principal, which began his banking career. Between 1949 and 1956, he attended college, first at Jacksonville State University and later at the University of Alabama, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Law. While in school, he served as President of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Immediately after graduating, he returned to the First National Bank and was offered the position of loan officer at the bank. One year later, at age 23, he went to the Bank of Heflin as the C.E.O. and Cashier.

Pope was called to military service as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps at Ft. Lee, Virginia. In 1964 Pope, along with nine other local businessmen, purchased the controlling interest in the Bank of Heflin. During that same year, Pope was elected Chairman and President. The bank continued to grow, and two new branches were established between 1968 and 1970, one in Ranburne, Alabama, and the other in Hollis. In 1966, Pope was selected Alabama’s Outstanding Young Banker and in August of 1973 was named Cleburne County’s Leadership Award winner. During this period, he was also chairman of the music, finance, and stewardship committees of the First United Methodist Church in Heflin. In September of 1973, Pope was offered a position as President and C.E.O. of Exchange National Bank of Montgomery, where the family lived for four years. In the fall of 1974, Pope founded his own corporation, First Alabama Institutional and Service Co. Inc, to serve the financial community with consultation in education, placement, marketing, and market and economic research. Due to the growth of the bank, Pope was granted an option to purchase The Commercial Bank in Douglasville, Georgia, which he did in 1975. There were branches in Lithia Springs and the Bill Arp community. During his early years in Georgia, Pope became director of the American Trust Company and president of First Credit Corporation of Georgia. He was later elected president of the Independent Bankers Association of Georgia in 1987 and shortly afterwards was elected state director of the Independent Bankers Association of America. He was the organizing director of the Georgia Bankers Bank and served on its board for several years. He also served on the board of both the Independent Bankers Association of Georgia and the Community Bankers Association of Georgia.

Pope was a former President of the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce, serving on its board for seven years, and a former member of the Douglas County Board of Elections and Douglas County Board of Assessors. He was also a charter board member of the Douglasville- Douglas County Cultural Arts Council and a charter board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Douglas County. He served as chairman of the Bush/Cheney Presidential campaign for Douglas County and was executive director vice president and treasurer of the Douglas County Republican Party. In addition to his law degree, Pope received his post graduate degree from the Bank Public Relations and Marketing School at Northwestern University. He completed a post graduate degree in Banking from the University of Wisconsin as well as banking courses at Harvard and Columbia Universities. He is a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a member of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Douglasville. He and his wife were chosen Grand Marshalls in the 4th of July parade in 2016. His hobbies were traveling; coin, stamp, artifact, and mineral collecting; singing; reading; and being an avid Alabama Crimson Tide football fanatic.

Robert Russell Pope, Jr. is survived by his wife Virginia Voss Pope; his three children: Pamela Pope Fowler, Patrice Pope Arnold (Lyndon), and Robert R. Pope III (Lisa); six grandchildren: Evan Fowler, Aaron Arnold, Alex Arnold, Austin Arnold, Grace Arnold and Henry Pope along with two great grandchildren, Noah and Rowen.

A private family service will be held at St. Theresa Catholic Church.