Aaron Jones Yorke IV
Aaron Jones Yorke IV died in his Raleigh, North Carolina home on Sunday March 26, 2023. Born in Concord, North Carolina, June 21, 1931, Yorke enjoyed a rich and accomplished life.
He attended the Webb School, where he was recently awarded Distinguished Alumnus, proudly attended Davison College, and graduated Bachelor of Science, from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1953.
After serving in the United States Army Counterintelligence Corps, 1953-1955, he attended Harvard Business School, where he earned his Master in Business Science in 1957. Upon graduation, he was recruited as the assistant to the chairman at Food Machinery Corp. (FMC) 1959 – 1962.
Yorke began his long and distinguished securities career joining Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, as vice president 1962-1971. In 1971 he was named executive director of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington D.C, where he served until 1973.
In 1973, he returned to the public securities sector joining Paine, Webber Jackson & Curtis, 1973-1977, serving as president, 1974-1976, and then vice chairman of the board, 1976-1977.
Yorke was a visionary and early champion for the computerization of the securities industry, predicting it as the future for small investors and the industry alike. “It’s conceivable eventually that trading floors won’t be needed anymore. All it will take is a computer – who knows?”, San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle, February 6, 1972.
From 1975-1977, he served on the board of directors of the Chicago Board Options Exchange. He went on to join Bruns, Nordeman, Rea & Company, senior partner & director, 1978-1982, and Laidlaw, Adams & Peck, Inc., executive vice president, 1982-1984. From there, he founded Yorke McCarter Owen & Bartels Inc., and OMY, Ltd., and served as managing director of Asset Channels, Inc.
His final achievement was serving as chairman of the 42d Street Development Corporation, changing the face of “Theater Row”, and creating Music and the Brain, a program designed to help students build skills and succeed academically by bring music literacy to under resourced communities.
He was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati, the Institute of Chartered Finance Analysts, and The Brook Club.
Mr. Yorke is survived by his two daughters, Bryan Lane Yorke, Laura Best Yorke, son-in-law, David Joseph Wallace, nephew, Coleman Yorke Lawson, and his two grandsons, Richard Elliott Snyder, Jr., and Coleman Lawson Yorke.