Earle O. Latham (1908–1999) was born in Lowell, Massachusetts.
He attended Boston University, Rutgers University School of Banking and Columbia University Graduate School of Management.
During 46 years of employment, Latham rose from a messenger to serve as the First Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He was designated as a special emissary for the U.S. Department of State to the State of Ethiopia in 1963-1964 to establish the National Bank of Ethiopia.
Latham married Harriet Irene Morrison of Malden, Massachusetts in 1936. They had two children; Patricia Ruth Latham (1938–1956) and O. Bradley Latham (1940-). Earle Latham taught banking at Harvard University Extension School. He was an officer of the American Bankers Association and served on many boards of charitable organizations, such as the United Way.
In retirement, he moved to Boxford, Massachusetts, where he served for many years as the Chairman of the Boxford Conservation Commission.