Fireman's Fund - Our People

FIREMAN'S FUND - OUR PEOPLE

Connect with audiences by retelling the stories of key figures in Fireman’s Fund history. These biographies of business and civic leaders offer colorful examples suitable for any occasion from marketing to internal presentations. Their triumphs will inspire through human interest.

John Barton
An original "49’er," Barton moved to California for the gold rush, but found his fortune in the manufacture of salt while joining the original board of directors at Fireman’s Fund.
Charles R. Bishop
Later a director of Fireman’s Fund, Bishop moved from New York to Hawaii in 1846, married into the kingdom’s royalty and earned great wealth as its leading banker.

Samuel Brannon
A successful early newspaper publisher and civic leader, Brannan was California’s first millionaire by the 1840s, and he became a founding member of Fireman’s Fund.
John Coleman
Coleman arrived in California in 1850 looking for gold, but operated mines and the Narrow Gauge Railroad before serving on the Fund’s board for 27 consecutive years.

James F. Crafts
In 1946, Crafts was named president of Fireman’s Fund and became the youngest man ever to head a national group of property and liability insurance companies.
Henry Lee Dodge
Dodge was a practicing lawyer before helping found Fireman’s Fund in 1863. He went on to a distinguished career of civic service in San Francisco.

George D. Dornin
A prominent officer of Fireman’s Fund, Dornin served as secretary of the Fund and helped settle the company’s losses after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Henry Dutton
Active from Fireman’s Fund’s beginnings, Dutton served as director from 1863-1879, and his son, William, later became the Fund’s president.

William Jay Dutton
From his time as clerk to his tenure as Chairman of the Board, Dutton served Fireman's Fund for over 60 years.
Arthur M. Ebbetts
One of the 50 original directors of Fireman’s Fund, Ebbetts earned his fortune soon after the gold rush in 1849 through shipping and coal trade.

Bernard Faymonville
At various times, Faymonville was President of Fireman’s Fund, the Board of Fire Underwriters of the Pacific, the Underwriters’ Fire Patrol of San Francisco and the Underwriters’ Inspection Bureau.
James C. Flood
Flood, one of the original directors of the Fund, was a colorful character known as the "Silver King of Nevada," amassing his fortune in mines, real estate and sawmills.

Stephen Dallas Ives
Civil War veteran Stephen Dallas Ives began his tenure with the Fund as a special agent in 1882, later rising to president of Fire Underwriters Association of the Pacific.
Charles W. Kellogg
Another Civil War veteran, beginning in 1885, Kellog devoted nearly 25 years to managing the Eastern Department of the Fireman’s Fund of California.

Frederick Kohler
Kohler helped organize San Francisco’s first fire department in 1850 and became one of only two active firemen among the 50 original Fireman’s Fund directors in 1863.
Jacob Bertha Levison
As Vice President, "J.B." initiated the Fund’s move into the automobile insurance industry.

Fred Merrill
Merrill, elected chairman of the Fund’s board in 1967, had a distinguished professional career that included executive stints with many successful corporations.
Charles R. Page
President of Fireman's Fund from 1937-1943, Page left the Fund twice to accept high-ranking positions with the U.S. government.

James Phelan
Phelan rose from the ranks of poor Irish immigrant to successful capitalist and one of the Fund’s original directors in 1863.
David Scannell
Scannell was a founding member of the original board of directors.

Arthur K. Simpson
In an insurance career that spanned six decades, Simpson once covered territory stretching from Bangor, Maine, to St. Paul, Minnesota, as an agent of the Fund.
David Jackson Staples
Staples was a personal bodyguard for President Lincoln before serving as President of Fireman's Fund from 1867-1899.

John Stratman
"Major Jack" Stratman was a veteran of the Mexican-
American War and Civil War, and he was elected to serve on the first board of directors of the Fireman’s Fund.
Captain Cory Willisstun
Willisstun was a longtime whaler and mariner before investing in the Fund and becoming a director and the Fund’s surveyor.

	John Barton An original "49’er," Barton moved to California for the gold rush, but found his fortune in the manufacture of salt while joining the original board of directors at Fireman’s Fund.		Charles R. Bishop Later a director of Fireman’s Fund, Bishop moved from New York to Hawaii in 1846, married into the kingdom’s royalty and earned great wealth as its leading banker.
	Samuel Brannon A successful early newspaper publisher and civic leader, Brannan was California’s first millionaire by the 1840s, and he became a founding member of Fireman’s Fund.		John Coleman Coleman arrived in California in 1850 looking for gold, but operated mines and the Narrow Gauge Railroad before serving on the Fund’s board for 27 consecutive years.
	James F. Crafts In 1946, Crafts was named president of Fireman’s Fund and became the youngest man ever to head a national group of property and liability insurance companies.		Henry Lee Dodge Dodge was a practicing lawyer before helping found Fireman’s Fund in 1863. He went on to a distinguished career of civic service in San Francisco.
	George D. Dornin A prominent officer of Fireman’s Fund, Dornin served as secretary of the Fund and helped settle the company’s losses after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.		Henry Dutton Active from Fireman’s Fund’s beginnings, Dutton served as director from 1863-1879, and his son, William, later became the Fund’s president.
	William Jay Dutton From his time as clerk to his tenure as Chairman of the Board, Dutton served Fireman's Fund for over 60 years.		Arthur M. Ebbetts One of the 50 original directors of Fireman’s Fund, Ebbetts earned his fortune soon after the gold rush in 1849 through shipping and coal trade.
	Bernard Faymonville At various times, Faymonville was President of Fireman’s Fund, the Board of Fire Underwriters of the Pacific, the Underwriters’ Fire Patrol of San Francisco and the Underwriters’ Inspection Bureau.		James C. Flood Flood, one of the original directors of the Fund, was a colorful character known as the "Silver King of Nevada," amassing his fortune in mines, real estate and sawmills.
	Stephen Dallas Ives Civil War veteran Stephen Dallas Ives began his tenure with the Fund as a special agent in 1882, later rising to president of Fire Underwriters Association of the Pacific.		Charles W. Kellogg Another Civil War veteran, beginning in 1885, Kellog devoted nearly 25 years to managing the Eastern Department of the Fireman’s Fund of California.
	Frederick Kohler Kohler helped organize San Francisco’s first fire department in 1850 and became one of only two active firemen among the 50 original Fireman’s Fund directors in 1863.		Jacob Bertha Levison As Vice President, "J.B." initiated the Fund’s move into the automobile insurance industry.
	Fred Merrill Merrill, elected chairman of the Fund’s board in 1967, had a distinguished professional career that included executive stints with many successful corporations.		Charles R. Page President of Fireman's Fund from 1937-1943, Page left the Fund twice to accept high-ranking positions with the U.S. government.
	James Phelan Phelan rose from the ranks of poor Irish immigrant to successful capitalist and one of the Fund’s original directors in 1863.		David Scannell Scannell was a founding member of the original board of directors.
	Arthur K. Simpson In an insurance career that spanned six decades, Simpson once covered territory stretching from Bangor, Maine, to St. Paul, Minnesota, as an agent of the Fund.		David Jackson Staples Staples was a personal bodyguard for President Lincoln before serving as President of Fireman's Fund from 1867-1899.
	John Stratman "Major Jack" Stratman was a veteran of the Mexican- American War and Civil War, and he was elected to serve on the first board of directors of the Fireman’s Fund.		Captain Cory Willisstun Willisstun was a longtime whaler and mariner before investing in the Fund and becoming a director and the Fund’s surveyor.

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