Description Sandler O'Neill business card for Thomas Joseph Collins. This business card identifies Thomas J. Collins as a Managing Director at Sandler O'Neill at Two World Trade Center.
Historical Notes Dix Hills, Long Island, native Thomas Collins lived in Manhattan with Julia, his wife of 15 months. A golfer, skier, and fisherman, Thomas frequently gathered family and friends for weekend outings. He joined Sandler O’Neill & Partners in 1988 and rose to become a managing director. On September 11, Thomas was at work on the South Tower’s 104th floor. He was 36 years old.
Curator's Comment Business cards were ubiquitous survivors of the 9/11 attacks. Most of those in the Museum’s collection were found in recovered wallets and pocketbooks or retrieved from the paper debris that fell from the towers. Their variety is indicative of the multiplicity of companies and activities anchored at the World Trade Center.
Victims’ relatives and employees of businesses formerly located at the World Trade Center have also donated pristine business cards found at home or in jacket pockets after September 11, 2001. Such cards were often retained as souvenirs of the destroyed landmark or as evidence that placed loved ones at the World Trade Center. Business cards tied to passengers aboard the hijacked aircrafts were also found at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon crash site, and in the impact area of Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. HIDE