American General Life Companies (American General) have been protecting the hopes and dreams of American families for nearly a century. Although the company has retained its Houston base, today it bears little similarity to the simple operation that began with one man’s dream.

With more than 4,000 employees and offices and service centers across the country to serve our producers and customers, American General insurers now rank among the top insurance providers in North America.

We owe our success over the years to one simple principle — being a loyal partner of American families and the advisors who help safeguard their security.

That’s why our insurers remain committed to provide quality products that help our clients build brighter futures for themselves and the ones they love. And it’s why we never lose sight of the fact that insurance is about people — their welfare, their security, and their dreams for themselves and for future generations.

The story of American General Life Companies (American General) began in 1925 when the Texas Commission of Appeals made a historic ruling that enabled insurance companies to underwrite both property and casualty insurance. Our founder, Gus S. Wortham, had operated a successful insurance agency in Houston in 1915 and had a vision for such a company. With the backing of his father and several prominent business associates, he launched the American General Insurance Company on May 8, 1926, one of the first multi-line insurance companies in the nation. Three years later, American General declared its first dividend.

In 1945, American General completed the first of its own strategic acquisitions, Seaboard Life Insurance Company, making American General the only company in the southern United States to underwrite fire, life, automobile and casualty insurance. Another acquisition in 1953 in Omaha marked American General's first expansion outside Texas. Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, companies in Maryland, New York and Tennessee followed. By 1968, American General had reached $1 billion in total assets and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.