Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-08
WOMEN ANDINSURANCE
MANY OF THEM NOW IN THE
BUSINESS.
Big Policies Carried by Helen Gould
and Other Ladies Of
Fortune.

The insurance OF the lives OF women anu
the employment Of women as solicitors by
insurance companies is comparatively
new idea, but it has become very popular
and is growing rapidly. There are proba-
bly, 1000 women in the United States to-
day who make their living in the insurance
business. and they have been so successful
in securing business and earning large
commissions that it may already be con-
sidered an established profession, and wo-
men insurance agents will hereafter work
on the same terms and under the same
conditions as men.
The big life insurance companies here all
have women solicitors and the managers
are unanimous In commencing them. The
New York Life was the pioneer and en-
ployed its first women agents in Chicago
about eight years ago. 1t came about nat
urally. Miss Jessie F. Niccolls. who had
been teacher in the public schools and
was compelled to give up that employment
because of poor health. brought in some
business to the general agency here and
was told to go out for more. That COM
pany now has twenty-one women solicitors,
the Mutual Life has thirty or more, the
Equitable six or seven, and all the other
companies have women among their So
icitorS.
Successful Solicitors.
The managers also tell me that larger
proportion of women who attempt to So
licit life insurance are successful than
the men. They show more tact. they
are more intelligent in collecting and pre-
senting facts. in handling their patrons;
they are more persistent In following up
arguments to their clients and are not so
easily discouraged. They work among men.
but chiefly with women. and. as l have
said, the insurance woman has recently be-
come a fad.
When asked Miss Niccolls how she hap
pened to go into the business she said:
Il had to give up school and was COM
PEELED to do something else. I saw that
the insurance field was open and entered
it. At first 1t was very hard work, but it
year 1 made about s45 month. which is
the salary of a teacher in primary
school. l confined my work to women and
had to educate everybody that talked in
times as much money as at first and the
third year did still better. Now / am
working among men as well as women and
on the same terms as the men solicitors
and I am sure that soliciting insurance
has become a permanent and will be
profitable occupation for women. 1 see no
reason why it should not. particularly as
women are taking out more and more in.
surance."
who are your clients"
Working Women.
mostly working women, and 1t would
surprise you how many Of them are sup
porting or contributing to the support of
families. I believe that nine -tenths of the
women wage-earners Of Chicago have 9TH
ers wholly or partly dependent upon them,
and this class of people are beginning to
learn that insurance is not only q good
but a necessary investment to protect those
who are dependent upon them and to pro-
vide for themselves in their old age.
Women are now considered good risks.
premium to secure insurance, but about six
years ago that was removed, and now
nearly all of the life insurance companies
accept them on the same basis as men.
yielded the point few weeks ago, but still
makes an exception to married women, as
several of the other companies do. The
mortality among women is no greater than
among men, and their liability to accident
is not so great.
What class of women take insurance."
Il suppose that trained nurses and wo-
men physicians have larger percentage
insured than any other profession. After
that come the teachers in schools, then
dressmakers, milliners. cashiers, clerks in
department stores and others. but very few
stenographers. 1t is singular thing that
we always find 1t difficult to convince
stenographer of the value of life insurance.
Professional women are more apt to insure
than others, and insurance has recently be-
come popular among actresses. They are
taking out twenty-year-endowme policies
as investments for old age. AS a rule,
actresses do not save their money and do
not have anything left after their popular
fty has passed. We insure good many
women in private life also. It is becom-
ing quite common, and very soon I expect
that as many women as men will take out
policies upon their lives, particularly those
who have others dependent upon them"
Mrs. Leland Stanford is said to carry a
larger amount of insurance than any other
woman In the world. Her policies amount
to more than a million dollars. Mrs Frank
o. Lowden Of Chicago carries $3.50 600 prob
ably more than any other woman in the
west, and Mrs. McReynolds carries 500 600.
Helen Gould and one of her sisters have
$lOO,OO0 each. Anna Held carries 500 900;
$4,000: Nordica, $4,000; Maude Adams.
$4,000; Blanche Walsh. $4,000; Blanche
Bates, $4,000; Maxine Elliott, 10000; Lulu
Chaser. $4,000; Pauline Hail. 100000 Laura
Joyce, $4,000, and others similar AMOUNTS.