Excellence in Insurance Leadership: an African American Executive at Golden State Mutual in 1954

Verna A. Hickman stood out as a pioneering African American woman executive in the insurance industry, serving as the public relations administrator at black-founded and owned Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company. Her achievements were highlighted in a 1954 documentary series I found, called "One Tenth of a Nation: Achievements," which showcased notable African American professionals of the era.

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Based on what I'm finding in my new journey into the history of insurance, the insurance industry seems to have played a pivotal role in creating professional and executive opportunities for African Americans during an era of widespread discrimination.

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, which would grow to become the largest Black-owned insurance company in the western United States, provided a platform for Verna Hickman's (the focus of this article) groundbreaking career. The company was founded in 1925 by William Nickerson Jr., Norman Oliver Houston, and George Allen Beavers Jr.

Black-owned insurance companies, in particular, emerged as crucial institutions that offered paths to middle-class careers and executive positions when such opportunities were severely limited or nonexistent in other sectors. These companies not only provided essential services to Black communities often neglected by white-owned insurers, but also became powerful engines of professional advancement and economic development.

Verna A. Hickman's Role

As public relations administrator, Hickman:

• Managed the company's public image and communications strategy
• Served as one of only two women executives at the company
• Represented Golden State Mutual at the highest corporate level
• Helped shape the company's relationship with the community

Leadership at Golden State Mutual

A 1949 photograph captures Hickman among the company's distinguished executive team. She served alongside other accomplished African American professionals:

• Norman O. Houston, president
• George A. Beavers, Jr., chairman of the board
• Edgar J. Johnson, secretary and treasurer
• Helen E. Hodge, comptroller (the other woman executive)
• Additional department heads and managers

National Recognition

Hickman's inclusion in the 1954 national documentary "One Tenth of a Nation: Achievements" underscored her significance in the insurance industry. The program, which featured notable African American achievers across various fields, recognized her executive role as worthy of national attention.

Professional Legacy

As an African American woman in a senior executive position during the 1950s, Hickman's career demonstrated excellence in corporate leadership. Her role at Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company showed how talent and expertise could advance the insurance industry, and shows the "human" side of insurance.

The Broader Impact of Insurance Companies

The insurance industry of this era created unprecedented professional opportunities for African Americans. While many industries remained largely closed to Black professionals well into the 20th century, insurance companies offered:

• Executive positions that provided both status and decision-making authority
• Professional roles requiring advanced education and technical expertise
• Career advancement paths based on merit rather than racial barriers
• Economic stability that helped build and sustain the Black middle class

These firms created environments where African Americans could fully utilize their talents and expertise, establishing models of success that would later influence other industries' integration efforts. Hickman's executive role at Golden State Mutual, along with those of her colleagues, represented the insurance industry's unique position as an early avenue for Black Americans to achieve significant corporate success.

That's all for this micro-look into insurance history. Subscribe and share this, if you'd like to see more!

Citations

"One tenth of a nation. Achievements." United States: American Newsreel Corporation, 1954. Library of Congress, https://lccn.loc.gov/2020600721.

"The Officers of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company pose for their first picture in front of the new Home Office building at 1999 West Adams Boulevard." UCLA, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, August 25, 1949. Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company records, https://calisphere.org/item/8110ad18-388b-41a1-bdae-26db9b9826a5/

"Verna Hickman." UCLA, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, circa 1960s. Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company records, https://calisphere.org/item/a8561507-d654-4e9d-9f68-096ec4003c53/

"George Beavers Jr.; Insurance Firm Founder." Los Angeles Times, October 14, 1989, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-14-mn-101-story.html