[6] At the beginning of the twentieth century, noted investors in the bank include J. Pierpont Morgan, James Stillman, Jacob H. Schiff, E. H. Harriman, and Marshall Field.

During the Great Depression, the First would absorb First Union Trust and Savings Bank's customers and operations.

During the 1950s and 1960s the First expanded both in the Midwestern US as well as abroad, opening offices in London (1959), Tokyo (1962) and later Beijing (1980).

[9] In 1984, First Chicago purchased American National Corporation, the holding company for American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago, another bank located in the Loop, from Walter E. Heller International Corporation for $275 million.

Stanley Golder, who built the group in the 1970s left the bank in 1980 to found GTCR.

In the 1990s, the team, led by John Canning Jr. would spin out of First Chicago to form private equity firm Madison Dearborn.

[14] The following year, First Chicago entered DuPage County by acquiring Gary-Wheaton Corp., another bank holding company.

[18] In 1993, First Chicago acquired Lake Shore Bancorp, another Chicago-based bank holding company, $323 million.

In April 1998 First Chicago NBD announced a $30 billion merger with Banc One Corporation of Columbus, Ohio.