Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-11
INSURANCE LEADER
ONCE OFFICE BOY
Bucker Elected President OF
New York Life at Meet
ing This Noon.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK, March 11.-At noon
today, in one Of the great sptre-topped
buildings that have made the new sky
line Of New York, a former once boy,
who grew up In Independence, Mo:
where a little earlier the covered
wagons were starting for the Far West,
was made the head Of a billion dollar
company.
Thomas A. Buckner was elected
president Of the New York Life In
Surance Co.., with which he has been
connected since he was is years old,
succeeding Darwin p. Kingsley, presi-
dent of the company for the past "a
years, elected chairman of the board.
Asked what he valued most in the
81 years of his business life, this new
chief executive Of one of the largest
corporations in the world replied: "The
friendships have made, chiefly among
my associates, c6acials, employees and
our agents"
Like so many other big executives,
Thomas A. Buckner Is man of quiet,
simple, democratic manner, who finds
his chief pleasure in his work and in
his family. Youthful In spirit, at Sc,
he has . devoted following among the
thousands Of young men, as well as
the older ones, employed by the COM
pany, In Riverdale, the New York
suburb on the Hudson River where he
has lived for many years, he Is known
as a friendly neighbor. He, is treasurer
of the little church he attends.
Likes Lincoln Biographies.
His hobbies, according to a neighbor,
are his family, consisting Of his wife,
a son, daughter and six grandchil-
dren; the New York Life, books, Bridge,
radio and golf He is an unusually
good bridge player, radio fan and
turns in q good golf score. HIS IA
-vorite books are bioErspniss nus iIscd ia
In fiction, which, he says, affords re-
Taxation and stimulates the emotions,
he prefers Dickens, Bulwer-Lytton,
Stevenson, Scott, Dumas, Hugo ana
Mark Twain.
Thomas A. Buckner was born in 1865,
toward the end of the Civil War; at
Bloomington, H., where his parents had
moved to escape the depredations OF
guerrilla bands. Later, after a sojourn
in the family's ola home, Paris, KY,
they settled in Independence, MO,
where Tom" spent his boyhCod days.
In this little Western Missouri town,
the boy who was later to head force
Of $4,000 agents and employees, created
his first successful organiZation-a
wood -saWing club, making q virtue OF
necessity and demonstrating the same
philosophy Of life he breaches today,
that work will be drudgely or pleasure,
according to how you go about 1t.
Not content with being good ONCE
boy and clerk, young Buckner decided
to sell life insurance. After office hours
he called on friends and acquaintance,
only to be told that they had all the
insurance they needed" The future in
surance president was discouraged; no.
body wanted any insurance But he
now learned q lesson that every young
salesman who succeeds has TO learn
sooner or later. An old agent went
with him to see some of the men who
had turned him down and one of his
hardest" prospects was quickly written
for q good policy. This experience"
said Mr.. Buckner, taught me that,
when q salesman first hears no. he
should remember it may mean that he
has failed to make his proposition
clear"
Made Brilliant Record.
when he was II years old young
his own feet As. an agent, and went TO-
Ottumwa, Iowa. He secured $3.50, 900
Of paid life insurance his first year in
small policies. In those days-1SS6-
production of a Quarter-miliion was
equal to half-miIlion today and Agent
Buckner was soon known Is an unusual
salesman.
So brilliant was his success in organ
ling and handling agencies that in.
1892 he was appointed inspector Of
agencies, at Chicago, for the IL great
Central States, succeeding George w.
Perkins, who had been elected a vice
president Of the company. Mr.. Buckner
was called TO New York as supertn-
tendent Of agencies at the age of 50, in
1893. In 1880 he was elected fourth
vice president; In 1901, director Of the
company; and, 1908, at the age Of 80,
vice president in full charge Of the en-
tire agency force Of the company, which
at that time operated in practically
every civilized country in the world.