First Hawaiian Bank marks 160th anniversary

First Hawaiian Bank celebrated its 160th anniversary Friday with cake and cookies in all 60 branches in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan as well as at the bank’s downtown headquarters.

The bank, which opened on Aug. 17, 1858, when Honolulu was a small whaling port, is Hawaii’s largest bank with $20.5 billion in assets.

First Hawaiian was founded by Charles Reed Bishop, who also founded the Bishop Musuem. To commemorate its 160th anniversary, the bank made a $160,000 gift to Bishop Museum to preserve the Hawaiian culture for future generations.

The bank said independent research shows it is the sixth-oldest Hawaii business, predated by three ranches — Princeville, Kualoa and Parker — Love’s Bakery (1851) and Kaanapali Land Management Corp., which was formerly Amfac (1849).