Banc One to Purchase Liberty Bancorp

Banc One Corp., one of the nation’s largest banks, agreed to acquire Liberty Bancorp Inc., another Midwestern bank holding company, for $546 million in stock, the companies said. The acquisition would make Banc One the largest banking company in Oklahoma City, where Liberty is based, and one of the top banking companies in the state. Columbus, Ohio-based Banc One operates 59 banks in 12 states and has assets of $98.6 billion. Liberty operates 29 banking offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla., and has $2.9 billion in assets. . . . Separately, Mellon Bank Corp. said it agreed to acquire Buck Consultants Inc. in an effort to tap into the expanding business of helping corporations manage employee benefits. Terms were not disclosed. Closely held Buck is the seventh-largest benefits consultant in the U.S.