[3] Its first president was Chicago-born Czech-American Joseph F. Triska, but he was replaced by Czech-born investor and former Chicago resident Felix B. Janovsky in 1927, who ran the company for twenty years.

[42] Despite the quake, that year's profits quadrupled, thanks to the need for lower loss reserves and the gain on the sale of its 31 branches on Florida's Gulf Coast.

In 1995, Great Western's chairman James Montgomery passed the office of CEO to president John Maher, who accelerated the drive toward banking services.

[44][45] In January 1982, Great Western announced the pending acquisition of Palo Alto–based Northern California Savings & Loan Association with its 61 offices for $61 million in stock.

[48] In August 1986, Great Western announced the pending acquisition of 119 out 136 Southern California branch offices of the failed San Diego–based HomeFed Bank from the Resolution Trust Corporation for $151 million.

[51][52] In March 1991, Great Western announced the pending acquisition of the deposits and 28 branches of the failed Irvine-based Lincoln Savings and Loan Association from the Resolution Trust Corporation for $12.1 million.

[53][54] In November 1991, Great Western announced the pending acquisition of five offices of the Woodland Hills–based Republic Federal Savings & Loan for an undisclosed amount.

[56] In June 1994, Citicorp announced that they were selling the deposits of six San Diego County branches of Citibank, FSB, to Great Western Bank for an undisclosed amount.

[67] But the ailing bank was seized by Office of Thrift Supervision in February 1990 for "unsafe and unsound financial condition",[68] before regulator approval could be obtained that would allow the sale to proceed.

[70][75] In September 1990, Great Western announced the pending acquisition of 27 Florida offices of the failed New Jersey–based City Federal Savings Bank from the Resolution Trust Corporation for $9.75 million.

[76] In March 1991, Great Western announced the pending acquisition of all 33 offices of the failed Clearwater-based Pioneer Savings Bank from the Resolution Trust Corporation for $5.25 million.

[77][78] In October 1991, Great Western announced the pending acquisition of the deposits and 23 offices of the failed Orlando-based The First FA from the Resolution Trust Corporation for $23.4 million.

[79][80] In March 1992, Great Western announced the pending acquisition of the deposits of $1.8 billion and the 53 branch offices of the failed Orlando-based AmeriFirst Federal Savings Bank from the Resolution Trust Corporation for $27.5 million.

[83] Great Western made its first expansion into the state of Arizona in June 1987 by announcing the pending acquisition of the Phoenix-based First Commercial Savings & Loan Association for $17 million in cash.

[95] In early 1997 California thrift H. F. Ahmanson & Co. launched a hostile takeover bid for the company, but Washington Mutual's friendly offer won out later that year.

[98] After Wayne's death in 1979, Great Western went through a number of celebrity spokespersons including Ben Johnson, Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, Maureen O'Hara and John Huston[40][99][100] before settling on Dennis Weaver who became their main spokesman from 1982[101] until 1996.

[103] As a tribute to their most notable celebrity spokesman, Great Western commission in 1984 a full-sized bronze statue of the actor John Wayne by noted American western-motif sculptor Harry Jackson to stand in front of their then Beverly Hills headquarters at 8484 Wilshire Boulevard.

The name still remained for six years after Great Western had ceased to exist, with Washington Mutual letting the clock run on the deal without re-branding the arena as its teams departed.

Chase Bank, the direct successor to Great Western after subsuming Washington Mutual's assets, became the sponsor of the Forum from 2014[108] until 2022 when Kia purchased the naming rights.