Guardian

On March 21, 1860 Hugo Wesendonck met in lower Manhattan to discuss forming a life insurance company to serve German-American families and businesses. On July 16, 1860 The Germania Life Insurance Company was incorporated and opened for business. The home office was located at 90 Broadway and retained fourteen agents. As the decade progressed, Germania's sale force grew and the company opened offices in thirteen cities. The company reported its first distribution of profits as dividends to policyholders and has paid a dividend every year since 1868.

Germania opened its European Home Office in Berlin in 1876 and by 1895 international operations accounted for 47% of Germanias total business. In celebration of its 50 year anniversary, Germania constructed a 20 story building in Times Square costing over $1.4 million. Due to World War I Germania's European businesses destabilized and communication with overseas offices faltered. In 1917 Germania became the first life insurer in America to subscribe to federal government War Bonds following the US entry into the war. The following year Germania changes its name to The Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America because of anti-German sentiment during the war. Guardian confronted its worse losses in 1919 due to the Spanish influenza when death claim payouts reached $700,000.

As the stock market crashed in 1929, Guardian still paid out dividends and soon after the Family Guardian policy was introduced. It combined whole and term life insurance. Guardian introduced is Preferred Risk life insurance in the late 1940's with a $10,000 minimum face amount.

In the 1950's Guardian brought Accident and Health into the insurance market along with Monarch, the first major medical policy providing full lifetime coverage on a non-cancellable basis. Also the first computer (IBM) was installed in the company's corporate office, bringing Guardian into the technology age. By 1972 The Guardian's corporate assets totaled over $4.5 billion.

Guardian merged with Berkshire Life Insurance Co. in 2000, which helped to secure a strong presence in the disability insurance market, and this year Guardian celebrated its 150th anniversary.