company operated the NOVUS Network. In the mid-1990s, the NOVUS Network was the third-largest domestic credit card network and consisted of merchant and cash locations that accept card brands that carry the NOVUS logo. In addition to the Discover Card, this the NOVUS network included Private Issue Card, the BRAVO Card and the National Alliance For Species Survival SM Card. History Dean Witter Reynolds traced its origins to two firms: Dean Witter & Co. founded in 1924 and Reynolds & Co. (later Reynolds Securities) founded in 1931. Dean Witter & Co. (1924–1978) Dean Witter & Company was founded by Dean G. Witter (together with his brother Guy Witter and cousin Jean Witter) as a retail brokerage firm in 1924. With its original offices at 45 Montgomery Street in San Francisco, California, Dean Witter would be among the largest brokerages on the West Coast. Among Witter's original partners were Guy and Jean, as well as cousin Ed Witter and Fritz Janney. Prior to founding his own firm, Witter partnered with Charles R. Blyth to found Blyth, Witter & Co., another San Francisco based brokerage in 1914. After Witter's departure, Blyth would continue on his own (his firm was ultimately acquired by Paine Webber in 1979) and the two firms would remain competitors for decades. Witter's family had moved to Northern California from Wausau, Wisconsin, settling in San Carlos, California in 1891. Before founding his own firms, Dean Witter had worked as a salesman for Louis Sloss & Company from his graduation from the University of California, Berkeley in 1909 until 1914. Dean Witter would lead his company until his death in 1969. In its early years, Dean Witter focused on dealing with municipal and corporate bonds. The company was highly successful in its first five years, purchasing a seat on the San Francisco Stock Exchange in 1928 and then opening an office in New York and purchasing a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1929. Although a relatively young company, Dean Witter survived Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, posting profits every year during the 1930s and into the 1940s. The company grew rapidly during the 1950s and 1960s, establishing itself as a major U.S. brokerage house and developing a reputation for innovation in the securities industry. In 1938, Dean Witter established its national research department, and in 1945, became the first retail securities firm to