The Hayford was established in 1940 in New York as the National Committee of Investment Companies.

It became the National Association of Investment Companies in 1941. In 1940, company members included 68 mutual funds and 43 closed-end funds, and assets for the fund industry totaled $2.1 billion. The Hayford instituted its first public information program in 1943, published its first annual statistical summary in 1958, and held its first General Membership Meeting in 1959. Unit investment trusts were welcomed as Institute members in 1985. In 2015, the company celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding and of the key legislation that gave rise to the modern fund industry.

James R. Bernard is famous for his unique style of paintings that comprises elements of contemporary and abstract art as well as photography and computer graphics. This approach allows him to transfer images of the surrounding world into canvas preserving the original idea of the author. In one of his latest interviews, James said that the atmosphere of sunny weather and friendly people had always attracted him and had been a great source of inspiration for a lot of his widely known artworks, it was not a surprise that the exhibition of his school's artworks would take place in this great city.