| 1863/00/00 |
About a decade after Elizur Wright's actuarial tables provide the key to solvency in life insurance, Simeon Draper establishes the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company in New York to provide war-risk insurance to American soldiers and sailors. |
Genesis |
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| 1867/00/00 |
Under the leadership of president James R Dow and finance director Joseph F Knapp, the firm ends its casualty business and focuses on life Insurance. |
History |
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| 1868/00/00 |
Daniel E Sickles, a hero of Gettysburg, works briefly as president of the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company. |
History |
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| 1868/03/24 |
Subsequent reorganizations of the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Co results in the creation of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co which consecrates on selling life insurance. Dr James R Dow, a retired physician from Brooklyn, is president. |
Begun |
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| 1870/00/00 |
Joseph Knapp hires John R Hegeman, as the Company Secretary. Hegeman will serve as Knapp's Vice-President and, after Knapp's death in 1891, he will become the third President of the Metropolitan (1891-1919). |
History |
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| 1871/00/00 |
Joseph F Knapp becomes president of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. |
History |
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| 1878/00/00 |
Joseph Knapp travels to London where he studies the Prudential Assurance Company's methods first-hand, and upon returning home, persuaded Metropolitan's directors to make "industrial" insurance the company's primary product. |
History |
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| 1878/00/00 |
Metropolitian enjoys the first of six big years in a row. By 1891 they will have over $250 million worth of industrial life insurance in force, more than the combined totals of its two chief industrial competitors, Prudential and John Hancock. |
History |
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| 1879/00/00 |
Metropolitan begins writing industrial life insurance, policies offered at low prices to industrial workers, and so become a leader in this new insurance field. They also pioneers intermediate-range life insurance and several social welfare programs. |
History |
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| 1883/00/00 |
Fred Ecker stars work as a mail boy. Knapp will appoint Fred a clerk in the real estate department. Fredrick H Ecker will become the fifth President of the Metropolitan (1929-1936) and then its first Chairman of the Board. |
History |
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| 1889/00/00 |
Joseph Knapp recruits attorney, Haley Fiske, to join the Metropolitan. Haley Fiske will become the fourth President of the firm (1919-1929). |
History |
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| 1893/00/00 |
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company occupies the first building (lost) completed, NE corner of 23rd St and Madison Ave. |
Office |
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Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower |
New York City |
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| 1896/00/00 |
Metropolitan offers intermediate life insurance intended for wage earners who could not purchase policies in multiples of $1,000 but could buy $500 units. |
History |
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| 1905/00/00 |
Metropolitan Life buys a corner lot at 24th St and Madison Ave and plans to build a 560-foot tall tower designed by Napoleon LeBrun and Sons. |
Office |
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Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower |
New York City |
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| 1909/00/00 |
Metropolitan introducing a $5,000 minimum whole life policy for exceptionally good risks proves "to be the outstanding life insurance innovation of the decade." - Marquis James, The Metropolitan Life |
History |
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Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower |
New York City |
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| 1912/00/00 |
At Metropolitan, Dr Lee K Frankel, a sociologist, and Dr Louis I Dublin, a mathematician, develop, with Lillian Wald, the Nation's first visiting nurse service. In many major cities it provides the only medical care that poorer policyholders can get. |
History |
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Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower |
New York City |
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| 1912/04/03 |
The New York Times reports that Philip Lewisohn has received a building loan of $1.1 million from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co to build a 22-story skyscraper on the site of Mendelssohn Hall. |
Loan |
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Lewisohn Building |
New York City |
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| 1939/00/00 |
Beginning with Parkchester in the Bronx in 1938-39, Metropolitan life develops a number of low-cost housing complexes that eventually include Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan, Riverton in Harlem, and Parkmerced in San Francisco. |
History |
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Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower |
New York City |
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