Pittsburgh Association of Health Underwriters

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Attending the charter convention of the newly formed NAHU in 1930 were delegates from Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle. Local associations in these cities were the pioneers. Featured as speakers at the charter convention were six Accident and Health men who, in the ensuing years, did much to raise the stature and prestige of the Accident and Health business. They were Harold R. Gordon, then Executive Secretary of the Health and Accident Underwriters Conference and later its managing director; C. O. Pauley, then Secretary of the Great Northern Life, Chicago, who later succeeded Mr. Gordon as head of the Conference following the latter’s untimely death; E. H. “Count” Mueller, who was elected head of the association in June, 1933; Armand Sommer, who served as its President in 1935; E. C. Budlong, then Vice President of Federal Life of Chicago, and Sam C. Carroll, then Vice President of Mutual Benefit Health and Accident Association, Omaha, whose company over the years has been one of the most active supporters of the national movement.

According to press accounts of the first meeting, the speakers expressed courageous optimism as to the National Association’s future. Their firm conviction was that it was destined to occupy a place in the insurance business just as important as that of the National Association of Life Underwriters, Health and Accident Underwriters Conference, and American Medical Association in the medical field. “The high ideals of these organizations were the patterns that we sought to emulate,” said “Count” Mueller, whose devotion is just as strong today as it was 75 years ago.  NAHU HISTORY

And, while the Pittsburgh chapter was among the first in 1930, there are over 200 local and state associations now chartered across the country.  Like the national association Pittsburgh has also lead a mixed and colorful past.  The Pittsburgh chapter actually went dormant in the early 1990's and remained dormant for a number of years.  It was in 1998 that Ron Hoffman, president, and Robert Keggle, president-elect of the Pennsylvania Association of Health Underwriters made a few phone calls to Pittsburgh insurance contacts and set a meeting date to re-activate the Pittsburgh Chapter. About eighteen insurance men and women attended that meeting and fifteen of them applied for membership on that cold February morning.  Immediately the new members elected the following officers: President - Eric Neisholss; Vice President - Roy Laux; Secretary - Gary Gillen; and Treasurer - Mark Shaffer.

Among those early leaders new leaders emerged, including Ray Phillips, Ed Willig, and Doug Moore, all of whom helped the chapter grow from that modest group of fifteen in 1998 to 'Large Chapter' status with over 100 members, as established by the national association in a few short years.  Pittsburgh's consistent and rapid growth is testament to the strong leaders who have stepped forward to support the chapter with their commitment of both time and resources.

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