Smyrna times., 1944-03-09
J.P. HYATT DIES
AT WILMINGTON
John Price Hyatt, Well Known
Here, Dies After Few
Days Illness
ACTIVE IN CIVIC AFFAIRS

John Price Hyatt, well known in
Smyrna, one of Delaware's out
standing insurance men and fol-
many years secretary of the Della
ware State Society of the Cincin-
natl, died Thursday night in The
Memorial Hospital, Wilmington
He had been i'll only a few days
Mr.. Hyatt, a former newspaper
man, at the time of his death was
group insurance supervisor of the
Equitable Life Assurance Society
One of the best known insurance
men of the East he had qualified
repeatedly for membership in the
Group Millionaires Club, which is
composed of the society's represen-
tatives writing a million or more
in group coverage in each calendar
year.
Interested i'm Civic Affairs
Interested in civic affairs, one OF
his last activities was a survey OF
the police and fire pension systems
which was made at the request Of
Mayor Albert w. James in an eff.
fort to stabilize the funds of the
two groups. Also interested in Del
aware history, he was a lineal de.
scendant of John Vance Hyatt,
lieutenant in the Continental Army
and through him was a member II
the Order of Cincinnati. Funera
services were in First and Contra
Presbyterian Church, Monday af'
ternoon at o'clock. The Rev. DR.
Willard G. Purdy, pastor of the
church, officiated. Interment was
in Old Drawers Cemetery, Odessa
Newspaper Career
For a number of years, Mr.
Hyatt, before entering the insur.
ance business in 1914, was engaged
in newspaper work in Wilmington
and Philadelphia. In the latter city
he was employed as a telegraphel
and reporter on the Evening Tele.
graph, the Philadelphia Record, anc
the North American. In his Will
mington newspaper career, he was
news editor of the Sunday Star and
for a while was editor of the ole
Daily Republican. He also estab-
lished and was editor of the short.
lived Sunday Herald in Whining
ton. For some years he was the
Delaware correspondent for many
newspapers, including Philadelphia
and New York dailies.
Insurance Man
Thirty years ago he left tn,
newspaper work for insurance bust
ness and became one of the mos
successful and best known not onl,
in the state but in the East. MI
Hyatt became connected with tn,
Equitable Life Assurance Societ,
of the United States, and in May
1926, became district supervisor o
the group insurance for the Middl
Atlantic States, with headquarter
in Wilmington. AS the result o
his ability and energy he made
success in his work.
Born i'm 1867
John Price Hyatt was born il
Wilmington on Dec. 8, 1867, tn
son of George White and Julit
Price Hyatt. His father was
native of Wilmington. His mothe
was the daughter of John L. Pric
of Red Lion, and for many year
was a resident of Smyrna. MI
Hyatt was educated in the gram
mar and high schools of Whining
ION. In his youth, Mr.. Hyatt wa
well known in sports circles as
sprinter and at one time wa
champion 100 yard Splinter in Del
aware. He was at that time con
nected with the old Warren Ath
letic Club.
Interested in Church
He was a trustee of the oil
Drawers Church, Odessa, wher
many of his ancestors worshippe,
and are buried. At one time h
was president of the Friends o
Old Drawers, an association tina
helped to keep the historic churcl
in good condition and sponsoret
annual services there. Always in
terested in historical Delaware, h
was until recently member of tn
State Archives Commission and tn
Swedish Tercentenary Commission
He married Viola Underwood o
Wilmington, a descendant of AID
miral Porter and member of an oil
and prominent family of Ceci
County, Md. They had no children
st. Peters Episcopal Church Note
st. Peters Episcopal Church
Dow L,rodarioL Mary Rqrtop roc