We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
48
'9
September-October, 1949
got it back — filled out — in the next mail, with a request for more blanks. We got those back in a week, with another request. We kept sending more blanks and getting more appli' cations. In asking for his fourth batch. Grant sent us a letter. 'What's the matter,' he wrote, 'you fellas running out of blanks?' "
It didn't take long for Grant to realize the accident field was a good one. He was newly married and tired of travehng the far reaches of Kansas and Missouri. So he organized his own company.
He sold 531 applications at $10 each, satisfying the state insurance regulations. Then he selected his officers and board of directors. Astute enough to realize that his foundling company would be unable to point with pride to capital assets or long tradition, he picked his "letterhead" with infinite care. He persuaded the town's number one banker to serve as president, and the president of the Board of Trade to accept the vicepresidency. As directors, he enlisted a state senator, the president of the Livestock Exchange, and several other men who were known throughout the Kansas City area. On the first day of July, 1909, the Business Men's Accident Association opened its doors.
Ten years later, B.M.A. was the largest company of its type in the United States, so it decided to broaden its activities, and became one of the half-dozen insurance companies offering life, as well as health and accident, insurance. At that time it was reincorporated under its present name.
Mr. Grant served 1 1 years as secretary-treasurer and as general man
ager. He became a vice-president in 1920, president in 1922, and chairman of the board in 1945.
On the last day of last year, B.M.A. 's financial statement showed assets of $72,581,955.97; life insurance in force of $365,596,686; and a premium income from accident and health of $9,928,642.
In the optimism of youth, Tom Grant, once predicted an annual income for B.M.A. of a million dollars a year. The present income exceeds two million dollars a month, and Grant has the candor to admit he would never have believed it possible.
While building his business and his personal fortune, Grant has not neglected the community. He has served as president of the Chamber of Commerce; general chairman of Allied Charities (now the Community Chest) ; and president of the Conservatory of Music. At the present time he is a director of seven business corporations, of the Life Insurance Association of America, and of the Midwest Research Institute. He is a trustee of the Kansas City Philharmonic Association, the Art Institute, the Young Women's Christian Association, the University of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Museum. He is a governor of the American Royal Association and chairman of the board of the Conservatory of Music.
Within the insurance industry, Tom Grant holds a unique position. He is the only person ever to serve as president of all three of the great insurance associations; the American Life Convention, the Health and Accident Underwriters Conference, and ( Continued on page 69)