VOLNEY ERSKINE HOWARD

Los Angeles County

Biographies

VOLNEY ERSKINE HOWARD

HOWARD, VOLNEY ERSKINE, insurance, Los Angeles, California, was born in that city February 6, 1879, the son of Albert James Howard and Katherine L. (Whiting) Howard. He married Hazel Monson at San Francisco, California, June 4, 1912. The Howard Family is one of the oldest and most highly regarded in Southern California, the first of the family to settle there in the early days having been Judge Volney E. Howard, grandfather of the present Volney E. Howard. Judge Howard was one of the honored members of the California Judiciary for many years and during his service was one of the striking figures of the Bench. He was a lawyer of the old school and an ardent advocate of the doctrine of State’s rights, a jurist whose memory is among those most honored in the legal fraternity.

Volney E. Howard who is one of the leaders of the insurance business in Southern California, is a true son of the Golden State. He received his preliminary education in the public schools of Los Angeles, graduating in 1899 with the first commercial class of the old Commercial High School, since re-named the Polytechnic High School of Los Angeles.

Following his graduation, Mr. Howard decided to take up fire insurance as his field of operation and became a clerk in the office of J. J. Mellus & Co., Los Angeles representatives of several large fire insurance corporations. During the two years he was connected with this firm Mr. Howard learned the details of the business and in 1901 was selected by the Los Angeles agency of the Fire Insurance Association of Philadelphia as its cashier. After serving in this capacity for a year he was chosen by the Aetna Life Insurance Company to take charge of its accident insurance department in Los Angeles. He remained with this company about six years and served in various positions, including those of claim adjuster and manager of the liability department, which latter he organized.

In 1908, Mr. Howard resigned his position and embarked in the insurance business for himself under the title of Volney E. Howard & Co., Incorporated. He engaged in general insurance and met with gratifying success from the outset, the first two years’ writings of his company being in excess of one hundred thousand dollars.

At a later date the firm was changed to Howard & Brundige, and still later, upon the retirement of his partner, Mr. Howard styled his company the Consolidated Agency Company, Incorporated, under which name it has since been known. He is the President and General Manager of the company and is regarded as one of the successful insurance men of the Pacific Coast.

Among the companies now represented by Mr. Howard’s office are the California Insurance Company, of San Francisco; Occidental Life Insurance Company, of Los Angeles (Accident Department); London Guarantee & Accident Company, of London, England; Union Marine Insurance Company, of Liverpool; Aetna Fire Insurance Company (Automobile Department); London & Lancashire Guarantee & Accident Company (Burglary Department); Orient Fire Insurance Company, and the Pelican Fire Insurance Co.

An enthusiast for the development of California’s natural resources and business institutions, Mr. Howard has done a great deal, in a personal way, towards increasing the scope and importance of California insurance corporations, and to his efforts is due a large amount of the business they carry. He is a member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He is particularly interested in the completion of the Los Angeles Harbor project, having followed its development closely from the time he witnessed the first rock sunk at the start of building the Breakwater which now forms the Outer Harbor.

Mr. Howard enjoys an unusual personal popularity among the business men of his city and is one of the leading clubmen there. He is noted as an athlete and is an ardent advocate of outdoor life, for in golf, yachting, etc., he receives his chief recreation He is prominent member of the Los Angeles Country Club, and was a member of the Board of Directors of that organization, as Secretary, at the time the club purchased the land upon which it is now located. The increase in value of this purchase so enriched the club that it built one of the handsomest clubhouses in the world. He also helped organize the Westmoreland Golf Club, later merged with the L. A. Country Club.

He is member, L. A. Country Club, the L. A. Athletic Club and South Coast Yacht Club.

Transcribed 7-7-08 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 100, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.

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