Photos

1978: Ed Crutchfield, First Union Corporation Chairman. OBSERVER FILE PHOTO

5/15/95 Mac Everett now leads First Union's North Carolina bank. ``In a horse race involving a number of fast horses, Mac just happened to be a little faster than the others,'' says Frank Dunn, who preceded Everett in the position. Observer staff photo

1996: Wachovia Bank Executives Bud Baker and John Medlin. ALLEN AYCOCK/Winston Salem Journal file photo

1/12/96 John Georgius, vice chairman of First Union bank and customer and information center. T.ORTEGA GAINES / STAFF

1998: Edward E. Crutchfield, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, First Union Corporation, in front of the bank's new headquarters building in uptown Chalrotte. FIRST UNION FILE PHOTO

8/19/98 Ken Thompson, co-head of Capital marketing division of First Union, on the trading floor. Observer Staff Photo.

3/17/98 Archie K.Davis, former chairman of Wachovia Bank, shown in an undated file photo. (AP Photo,Winston-Salem Journal,File)

1999: Ed Crutchfield, CEO of First Union, photographed at One First Union in Charlotte. OBSERVER FILE PHOTO

2000: Ed Crutchfield speaks to a gathering, wearing a ballcap while his hair grew back after cancer treatment. FIRST UNION FILE PHOTO

8/3/01 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wachovia CEO L.M. Bud Baker Jr., left, jokes with First Union CEO Kenneth Thompson as they leave the Wachovia shareholders meeting Friday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after a vote on their proposed merger passed by a wide margin. Observer Staff Photo

09/11/02: The Wachovia building in uptown Charlotte. Observer Staff Photo

2/15/04 - Ken Thompson, CEO of Wachovia Bank. Observer Staff Photo

2/15/04 - Ken Thompson, CEO of Wachovia Bank. Observer Staff Photo

5/17/04 - Wachovia CEO Ken Thompson (left) and Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis share a laugh as they discuss their organizations' donation of $8 million, apiece, to the Arts & Science Council's campaign for a batch of new and renovated arts facilities. Observer Staff Photo

5/3/06 - Vijay Singh, of Fiji, left, gestures as he talks to Wachovia president and CEO Ken Thompson, right, about Thompson's tee shot on the first hole during the pro-am of the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. AP Photo/Chuck Burton

4/30/08 Ken Thompson signals that his drive is going to the left from the 13th tee box Wednesday during the pro-am at Quail Hollow club in Charlotte, NC as (right) professional golfer Zach Johnson looks on. JEFF SINER -- jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

08/25/06 Ken Thompson, Wachovia chairman and CEO, 55, who recently lead the company through a merger, talks about Wachovia's future and his. John D. Simmons - jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com

5/9/06 - Wachovia Vice Chairman Ben Jenkins listens during a meeting Tuesday, at Golden West Financial Corp.¿s Oakland, Calif., headquarters. In a deal announced Sunday, Wachovia will acquire Golden West for $25.5 billion in cash and stock. Observer File Photo

5/8/06 - Herbert Sandler, co-CEO of Golden West Financial Corp., discusses his bank's history, in Oakland, Calif. Listening from right to left are Golden West co-CEO Marion Sandler and Wachovia Corp.¿s Ben Jenkins and Robert McGee. In a deal announced Sunday, Wachovia will acquire Golden West for $25.5 billion in cash and stock. Observer File Photo

12/19/07 - Wachovia CEO Ken Thompson (left) and Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis chuckle at remarks by Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers at the annual Charlotte Chamber economic outlook luncheon. GARY O'BRIEN - gobrien@charlotteobserver.com

4/22/08 - Wachovia CEO Ken Thompson leaves the annual shareholders meeting Tuesday in uptown Charlotte. According to an Associated Press story posted this morning, some disgruntled shareholders are calling for his resignation. Last week, Wachovia reported a first-quarter loss of $393 million and a 41 percent cut to its dividend. Thompson had previously promised the bank's dividend wasn't in danger. GARY O'BRIEN - gobrien@charlotteobserver.com

10/ 5/08 - Robert Steel, right, Wachovia's chief, and a lawyer, David Boies, outside federal federal court in New York on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008. Prodded by the Federal Reserve, Citigroup and Wells Fargo agreed to a cease-fire until Wednesday in the legal warfare over their competing bids for the Wachovia Corporation. John Marshall Mantel/The New York Times

10/3/08 - A cable car passes by a Wells Fargo bank branch October 3, 2008 in San Francisco, California. Four days after Citigroup had announced that it was buying Wachovia Bank for $2.2 billion, San Francisco based Wells Fargo claimed today that they were now purchasing the competitor for an estimated $15.1 billion in stock. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

11/5/08 - The Wachovia cultural complex consists of a new building for the Mint Museum (not shown), the Knight Theatre (center) and the Bechtler museum (at right). This view is looking straight up from Construction continues on the Bechtler Art Museum, part of the new cultural campus in Wachovia's South Tryon project. GARY O'BRIEN - gobrien@charlotteobserver.com

11/26/08 - Construction continues on the Bechtler Art Museum, part of the new cultural campus in Wachovia's South Tryon project. GARY O'BRIEN - gobrien@charlotteobserver.com

12/3/08 Wachovia President and CEO Bob Steel listens during the chamber's Economic Outlook Conference at the Westin in uptown Charlotte Wednesday. TODD SUMLIN - tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com

10/15/08 Wachovia employees filled the atrium's first floor, even all the way up a stopped escalator and onto a balcony. Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf and Wachovia CEO Bob Steel met with Wachovia employees Wednesday morning in Charlotte. John D. Simmons - jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com

10/15/08 Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf (center facing) greets city and county officials and Wachovia employees after his introduction to Wachovia. He and Wachovia CEO Bob Steel met with Wachovia employees Wednesday morning in Charlotte. John D. Simmons - jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com

10/15/08 Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf (center facing) greets city and county officials and Wachovia employees after his introduction to Wachovia. He and Wachovia CEO Bob Steel met with Wachovia employees Wednesday morning in Charlotte. John D. Simmons - jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com

10/15/08 - Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf (left, center) greets dignitaries, as Wachovia CEO Bob Steel (center, rear), and Ben Jenkins, Wachovia's executive officer (rear), leave the stage at the conclusion of an employee meeting inside the Wachovia Atrium on Wednesday morning in Charlotte. California-based Wells Fargo has agreed to buy Charlotte-based Wachovia this month. DAVID T. FOSTER III-dtfoster@charlotteobserver.com

10/15/08 - Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf (right) greets employees after being introduced by Wachovia CEO Bob Steel (left) during an employee gathering inside the Wachovia Atrium on Wednesday morning in Charlotte. California-based Wells Fargo has agreed to buy Charlotte-based Wachovia this month. DAVID T. FOSTER III-dtfoster@charlotteobserver.com

10/15/08 - Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf (facing hand geswturing) and Wachovia CEO Bob Steel (back) met with Wachovia employees Wednesday morning in Charlotte. John D. Simmons - jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com

10/15/08 - Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf (back left chin in hand) and Wachovia CEO Bob Steel (at podium) met with Wachovia employees Wednesday morning in Charlotte. John D. Simmons - jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com

10/15/08 - Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf (left) talks off stage, prior to joining Wachovia CEO Bob Steel onstage for an employee meeting inside the Wachovia Atrium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Wednesday. California-based Wells Fargo has agreed to buy Charlotte-based Wachovia. John D. Simmons/Chalotte Observer

10/15/08 Wachovia employees flooded the banks atrium in uptown Charlotte Wednesday to be there at Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf welcomed them into the Wells Fargo family. Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf and Wachovia CEO Bob Steel met with Wachovia employees Wednesday morning in Charlotte. John D. Simmons - jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com

12/23/08 - Wachovia stock takes a dip Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008, after the shareholders voted on the sale to Wells Fargo & Co. JOHN SIMMONS - jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com

1/6/2009 The stock ticker on One Wachovia Center shows N/A on the local stock listing for Wachovia. TODD SUMLIN - tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com