Exhibit 1.6 UNDERWRITING AGREEMENTUnderwriting Agreement • September 15th, 1999 • Mellon Bank Corp • National commercial banks • New York
Salomon Smith Barney Inc., Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., Chase Securities Inc., Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Mellon Financial Markets, Inc., as Underwriters (the "Underwriters"), understand that Mellon Financial Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Floating Rate Senior Notes due September 16, 2002 (the "Offered Securities"), which are to be unconditionally guaranteed (as described in the Prospectus Supplement and Prospectus referred to below) as to payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, by Mellon Bank Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act (the "Guarantor"). Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein or incorporated by reference herein, the Company hereby agrees to sell, the Guarantor agrees to guarantee, and the Underwriters agree to purchase, severally and
