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Historic Art Series

The Historic Art Series was used to illustrate National Life advertisements from 1934 until the late 1950s. The artists depicted actual events in American, Vermont, and National Life history. The ads were designed to illustrate why those events showed the value of life insurance and annuities offered by the company. This is a sample of one of those ads. Long-time National Life clients Peter H. Myers and Deborah Joecks donated several pristine Life Magazine issues with our ads via career agent James J. Handy CLU of the Vermont Agency.

1968 plane crash

On October 25, 1968, a devastating blow to the company was struck when five of our associates were victims of an airliner crash in New Hampshire. Four died and one was severely injured. Illustrating the small size of our community and the family relationships found at National Life, the last of their children (Pam Hudson Wilson) retired in 2016.

Life Insurance Wisdom

The father and son team of James Phelps Sr. and Jr. (age 12!) were critical to the early success of the company. They formed a major agency in Boston and created the General Agency system at National Life. James Jr. also led the first Agent’s Marketing Committee. In 1895, Phelps Jr. wrote this book of life insurance phrases.

Daniel Baldwin memorial booklet

Prominent Montpelier businessman Daniel Baldwin was the owner and insured on National Life policy #1. In addition to being a founder of this company, he was likewise a founder of the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Company, the oldest mutual fire insurance company in the U.S. This booklet was from his memorial service on August 7, 1881. He is buried in view of the Home Office.

National Life prospectus

This is an exceptionally rare sales flyer/prospectus was written and used by National Life’s founder, Benjamin Balch to raise capital for the young company in the year after the charter was granted but before we issued our first policy. Note how he presented the company as both a “life” and “health” company.

The first six Home Office buildings

This panel shows images of the prior six Home Office buildings, all of which were in Montpelier. In the earlier years, these were all at rented locations. The buildings shown as Home Offices #2 and #3 no longer exist. Home Office #4 was built on the site of #2 at 110 State Street. Building #5 was the first Home Office fully designed, built, and owned by the company. Drawings exist showing the company later considered quadrupling the size of Building #5 but opted instead to build #6 at 133 State Street. The illustration shown here for #6 shows how the final building was intended to appear. However, only the right side was built before the company outgrew that location. As it was, the granite exterior of the building was cut from a single block and in 1921 became the largest building in the world to be so clad.

Note:  The earliest meetings to create the company were held in the original Pavilion Hotel on State Street next to the capitol. That is where Balch established his earliest location in Montpelier. That Pavilion no longer exists. Official Home Office #1 was soon established but no policy was ever issued from that location.

Medical Department tools

Doctor’s head mirror and medical scales from the Medical Department. From 1960 until 1997 the company staffed a full medical office in Home Office #7 with doctors and nurses. It was located on the third floor at the south end of the building.

The first policy

In the early years of the company, long before any photocopying technology had been invented, the company kept a handwritten copy of every policy. Exhibited here is the Home Office copy of Policy #1 on Daniel Baldwin. Below is the actual policy itself, as held by Mr. Baldwin. His descendants donated it to the company during the 1970s.

Home Office #7 architectural drawings

The architect for this building was Hoyle, Doran, and Berry of Boston who, under a different partnership, had also designed our prior Home Office at 133 State Street. Of their design for this building, architect Alexander E. Hoyle said, “The building, by its solidarity and permanent appearance, must stand for the character of an old and well-known company, and, by its functional design it must symbolize the forward-looking and wide-awake character of National Life.”

Top left:
The “National Life” (presumably stainless steel) letters above the entrance were never installed.

Bottom left:
The architects clearly anticipated the 50’ Paul Sample mural that greeted all visitors to the lobby from 1961 until 2016. Sample’s mural represented the history of America, Vermont, and National Life from 1776 to 1960. Some images shown on the mural in this architectural rendering turned out to be remarkably close to those actually used years later by Sample.

Bottom middle:
The cafeteria illustrated here shows how it once occupied the entire end of the second floor before the Blue Jay Classroom was built during the 1990s.

Bottom right:
Originally, the landscaping included a Reflection Pool off the south end of the cafeteria. It was intended as a place for Home Office associates to be able to go and relax. Due to cost overruns during construction, President Deane Davis removed it from the plans. In 2021 CEO Mehran Assadi dedicated a new Memorial Garden on the north lawn.

Benjamin Balch

This image is the only known photograph of Benjamin Balch (1805 – 1880), the driving force behind the founding of National Life. A native of Massachusetts, Balch had been key in creating State Mutual Life Assurance Company in 1845. Later, he came to Montpelier with the intention of creating America’s 9th mutual life insurance company. He recruited a Board of Directors of prominent local businessmen and launched National Life Insurance Company of the United States. The new company was chartered by the Vermont Legislature on November 13, 1848.

It is not entirely clear of exactly why, but on January 15, 1850 the Board terminated Balch from all duties. He was alleged to have “transcended” his duties. He was quickly replaced by Dr. Julius Dewey and Balch’s role in creating the company went routinely unacknowledged until the late 1990s. Today he is recognized as the man without whom there would be no National Life Group.

Company Charter

This is one copy of an unknown number of the original charter for the company. On November 13, 1848 the Vermont Legislature granted its approval for the legal creation of the company.

Paper Tester

At an unknown time in the 1800s the company purchased this Mullen Paper Tester made by the B.F. Perkins & Son Inc. in Massachusetts. National Life used this device to test the quality of paper it purchased to ensure policies issued would stand the test of time. Life insurance is expected to last for decades and paper policies had to survive intact until it was time to file a claim.

Home Office #5 bronze plaque

From 1891 until 1922 this bronze plaque was on display outside Home Office #5 – the first home office owned by a rapidly growing National Life. Initially illuminated with gas lanterns, it was during the company’s ownership that it converted to electric lights. In 1899 National Life completed the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Bolton to provide itself (and others) with electricity.

Note the 1850 date for the start of National Life. Until 2000 the company used “1850” for its founding. In fact, the company was legally created on November 13, 1848 but the first policy wasn’t issued until 1850. Between 1848 and 1850 National Life was working to gather 1,000 applications to ensure themselves the company was completely viable from the day it issued its first coverage.

Rapid Calculator

During the early decades of National Life all mathematical calculations were carried out with paper and pencil. Eventually, mechanical calculators began to appear and were a major time saver for anyone spending their day doing calculations. This example was made by the Rapid Calculator Company using patents granted to Otto P. Schuman. This was one of the earliest mechanical calculators at National Life. This example is ca. 1925.

General Agency sign

This is the oldest known sign at National Life. In 2023, it was presented to National Life by retired career agent David M. Boardman CLU CFP who was with the Vermont Agency from 1956 until 2002. The sign originally advertised the Roger W. Hurlburd Agency in the small town of Hyde Park circa 1887.

Boardman purchased the sign from an estate in 1988 and it decorated his office in South Burlington for many years.

The sign maker was widely known artist Charles Andrus (1851 -1924.

75th Anniversary book

National Life Historian Arthur B. Bisbee MD (1858 – 1938) wrote a book in 1925 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the company. The book had a wide national distribution, and it remains a critical source of early company history. This is the only known first edition complete with original wrappings.

Actuarial Science book

The National Life Archives has a small but very impressive collection of exceptionally early books on Actuarial Science. Some of the books date back to the 1700s. This example was published in 1815.

SIGNS:

Agency sign

George Davenport operated a National Life Agency in Brookfield, Vermont from 1864 until 1871. (Davenport was also among the first 100 policyholders, owning policy #84.)

Regional Pension Office sign

Several months before the passage of the ERISA legislation in 1974, National Life saw the rich potential of selling life insurance and annuities inside qualified pension plans. In April of 1973 the Pension Department was created. The department was a massive success and in the mid-1990s opened a Regional Pension Office in Connecticut. Ben Pearl was an ERISA expert who accompanied any agent who needed help to sell a pension plan. The department grew to well over 100 staff. In 1999 the department became a legal subsidiary of National Life but was then sold off in the 2000s as pension planning in America saw a notable decline.

“The Best Insurance in the World” sign

The precise dating of this aluminum sign remains open to question. The logo shown, “The Best Insurance in the World,” was used by National Life as early as 1897 and occasionally until at least 1918. The company has two examples in its collection.

Enameled sign

This enameled sign appears to have once identified a National Life agency in Ohio. The dating is probably late 1800s.

Wooden National Life of Vermont sign

During the 1960s and 70s the company routinely used “of Vermont” as if it was part of National Life’s name. It never was. This wooden sign was offered to General Agencies during the 1970s and examples were scattered throughout the 50 states in many agencies.

EARLY OFFICE ITEMS:

First company desk

The first piece of furniture purchased by the company was this desk. It was purchased in February 1850 only days after we began issuing our first policies. The desk was used by at least the first three Secretaries of the corporation. Its last documented use was in 1897.

Dr. Julius Dewey’s medical practice sign

This silver sign once hung on the office of Dr. Dewey’s medical practice.

Dr. Julius Dewey’s inkwell

The crystal inkwell exhibited here was owned by Dr. Dewey. (The feather pen is a replica.)

First company safe

Even in the early days of the company, it needed a secure place to store money and important documents. This safe was the first one owned by the company and has been our possession for 175 years. Such care has been taken that National Life still has the original key to the door.

Dr. Julius Dewey’s pencil

Dr. Julius Dewey’s gold-plated, mechanical pencil. Dr. Dewey is known to have used this pencil from 1851 until his death in 1877. At that time, the pencil was passed to his son Charles who was president of the company from 1877 to 1901. It then passed down through three more generations of the Dewey family (all of whom worked at National Life) until Mrs. Jackson Jupp of Cheshire, CT donated it to the company. Note the large, red, ruby on the top of the pencil.

Brass magnifying glass

John A. Newman ran a National Life General Agency in New York City from 1957 to 1979.

Application for Policy #1

The application for Policy #1 issued on the life of Daniel Baldwin has been professionally deacidified, cleaned, encapsulated in nitrogen gas, and mounted in light protective glass. Note some of diseases of concern in 1850 were Dropsy, Fistula, and Scrofula – old names for medical conditions. Also of note is how Julius Dewey MD signed after his review of the medical portion of the form.

Application for Policy #77

National Life’s first death claim was on Rowland Allen from Ferrisburgh, Vermont, a farmer. He purchased this policy to protect his family while he ventured to California to participate in the Gold Rush. Allen didn’t realize the policy was not valid outside the U.S., in 1850 California was not yet a state. National Life could have legitimately denied the claim but chose instead to do the right thing. Full proceeds were paid to his widow, Sarah Ann Allen, who used a portion of her payment to purchase Thank You notices in newspapers.

Application for Policy #78

This was a second policy purchased on Rowland Allen. It was intended to pay off funds he borrowed to travel to California. The insured was Allen, the applicant was Nathan Lewis, and the beneficiary was Sincere O. Goodrich, the relationships are no longer clear.

Keypact by Computone

National Life made its first venture circa 1970 into assisting agents in creating illustrations through automation. The agent would use a template suitable to solving the client’s financial concerns then dial in a numeric value to each question related to that template. Once complete, a rotary phone would be placed in the receiver saddle and 800 number called, the code settings transmitted over the phone lines. An illustration would then be mailed for presentation to the client. Only strong producers were able to participate in the program. This example belonged to Hubert S. Brooks Jr. and was donated by his daughter.

1970s ad campaign

This ad campaign from the early 1970s was created by National Life’s in-house advertising department utilizing its own printing services.

Rolodex

In times before computer automation, information about clients, agents, policies, agencies and much more had basic data stored on small cards for quick reference. This example was in use into the early 2000s and stored data on certain policy types.

Punch cards

Before digital computers, machines were programmed via paper punch cards that were derived from use on looms. A hole in one place gave the machine an order to take a specific action. National Life used dozens of punch card machines and consumed billions of cards during the 20th century. The metal plate served as a test device when inserted into a machine.

Rubber stamp rack

When the volume of paper passing over one’s desk was a measure of work accomplished, the process was sped up using rubber stamps in the workflow. The size of the rack of stamps on one’s desk was often taken as a sign of that person’s importance and level of authority. A digitized workflow introduced during the 2010s made these stamps obsolete.

Rivet tool

Throughout most of the 20th century, National Life policies were held together by two brass rivets at the top. (The rivets were the same as used in shoes for laces to pass through.)  This tool hand crimped each rivet. The Archives has examples of various vintage rivet tools including a large, motorized version used by the Pension Department until the 1990s.

Name and Date stamp

For many decades before a digitized workflow was fully installed, nearly every associate had his/her own (named) date stamp. When work on a document was complete, the associate routinely date stamped it before the next step. This example was in use until 2013.

First open house

When this building held it first Open House on September 17 & 18, 1960, 5,000 people came to see the modern marvel. All guests received a Lucky Penny. All adults received a key chain showing the building and adult males were presented with a vinyl wallet. The brochure is an example of one included in each person’s welcome kit.

Agency give-a-ways

Throughout the history of National Life “trinkets” and “swag” have enhanced advertising efforts. General Agent S.S. Ballard of Barre, Vermont handed out very traditional items such as this ruler. He also used rather unique items: for example, S.S. Ballard’s full name was Smith S. Ballard, but he was known as “Steam Ship Ballard,” and his agency (1898 – 1923) also sold steamship tickets for world travelers. This is an example of a South African map that he distributed advertising National Life. Note the dating of “1900” — this was when the Boer War was raging in South Africa. In the photograph, Ballard is seated at his desk.

First Annual Report

There was little to report in the first year, so Dr. Dewey spent most of the report outlining his vision for National Life to always be an ethical company, paying claims on time, and funded by conservative investments.

Champlain Life rubber stamp

It can be difficult getting new product designs approved by the State of New York. During the mid-1980s, National Life had to create a subsidiary solely to issue newly designed Single Premium Deferred Annuities for that state. We called the company, “Champlain Life.”

Specialty Typewriter

Notice the extraordinary size of the carriage on this typewriter. The company once had many similar ones because our policies were nearly the size of newspaper pages and only this design of typewriter could hold those pages. Individual data, such as the insured’s name, had to be manually typed on every policy.

Calendars

National Life has issued high quality calendars since the 1880s. Countless households and offices across America have used our calendars for portions of three centuries.

“The National”

Since the 1800s insurance companies have routinely been known by an abbreviated name. For example, National Life Insurance Company has long been known as “The National.”  In recent decades this usage has seen a decline.

IBM PC

For much of the first half of the 20th century National Life relied on card punch machines to mechanically process work and data. In January 1969 the first mainframe electronic computer was installed. Although the mainframe was routinely upgraded, little changed until the fall of 1984. Individual personal computers began to appear on desks around the building. The double-floppy IBM PCs were not networked but overnight life changed as the company entered the digital world at the employee level. This IBM PC was one of the first in the company. The software was Lotus 123 for math functions and Multimate was the word processing system.

Profile of a General Agent

This case features the coveted green jacket earned by National Life’s top representatives, including a General Agents Hall of Fame patch, and lapel pins for Diamond Club, President’s Club, Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and the Million Dollar Round Table.

A Community of Service

Throughout its history, National Life has supported employees in their individual community service. The corporate commitment to serving the community (across America) has continually increased to the point of formally providing paid company time to perform those duties.

Shown here circa 2008 are, back row, left to right:  Kim Hart, Rick Couture, Charlie Pelkey, Brian Lindner, and Dave Archambault. Front row:  Lindsey Simanskas, Al Foice and Chris Day.

Company picnics

National Life has traditionally held large summer events for employees in the Home Office.  Sometimes those included train trips to resorts or large picnics in and around Montpelier.  This shows the summer picnic for September 21, 1921.  The photographer was Louis L. McAllister of Burlington.  His special camera panned slowly from left to right producing a large negative.  Because the camera was in motion, the people on the left had left the scene before the image was captured of the people on the right.  The smaller photograph is much the same but with a Montpelier photographer.

Annual Financial Report for LSW June 13, 1966

This report reflects the significant growth LSW experienced following the March 1964 purchase of the company by Halliburton Company. The growth was significantly in the middle America market.
LSW had $218M of life insurance in force with annual premiums of $3.2M. The company was active in 10 states with 120 agents.

LSW Policy

This well-designed policy cover holds an LSW Family Policy issued in 1964. This type of policy was created to fulfill the needs of the company’s expanding middle America clientele.

National Life 1909 Annuity Policy

On August 01, 1895 the company issued policy #76,131. This was the first annuity issued by National Life and by 1909, as this sample reflects, the company was routinely issuing annuities that promised to pay a benefit for the entire life of the annuitant.

Coleman Mutual Life Insurance Association

In the 1950s, before Coleman Mutual evolved into Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, it was serving American families with designs such as this that covered entire families. At this time, the company was still located in Coleman, Texas.

Glass National Life Annuity Sign

This glass sign advertising National Life annuities dates from the early 20th century. The intricate and expensive design was intended to indicate the high quality of National Life annuities.

Daniel Baldwin Application

Daniel Baldwin was a founder of the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Company (it remains as America’s oldest fire insurance company) and was a member of National Life’s earliest Board of Directors. He had the honor of applying for Policy #1. This is his original application. It was the issuance of his coverage that truly began National Life serving its clientele for 175 years.

Note that Baldwin had to certify he didn’t suffer from such diseases as Insanity Fistula, Dropsy, and Scrofula.

Rowland Allen Applications

Rowland Allen was the insured on National Life policies #77 and #78. The coverage was purchased to protect his family and to pay off his remaining debts. Allen travelled alone to California during the Gold Rush and soon died of dysentery in San Diego. This became National Life’s first Death Claim when the enterprise was only six months old. The claim could have been legitimately denied because death occurred outside (in 1850) what was then the United States. None-the-less, the company decided to deliver on its promise and paid both policies in full. Widow Allen was so pleased, she directed her attorney to purchase newspapers advertisements to promote the young National Life insurance company.