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Mr. Lewis was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., November 6, 1869, and received his education in the schools of that city. Being desirous of entering commercial life he secured an appointment from the home office of the company in 1885, when but fifteen years of age. His first duties consisted of running errands for the various departments of the company. He was advanced from time to time to various positions in the company's service, and on January 1, 1893, at the age of twenty-three, was appointed a general agent of the company for Delaware, Virginia, and Eastern Maryland, with headquarters at Wilmington, Delaware. The Mutual Life never had a general agent in that territory before, and of his work in 1893 and 1894 the statistician of the company published in a report the following flattering statement relative to his efforts in that field for those two years:
"The Mutual Life record in Delaware under the the agency of T. Howard Lewis is another illustration of what can be accomplished in the life insurance field by energetic, intelligent, and faithful attention to the business of getting applications through competent solicitors. In two years the new business done has been increased to more than ten times as much as it was in 1893, while the insurance in force has been more than doubled. In 1894 the insurance issued was $1,944,500. and in 1892 it was $174,500. Thus the gain of issue in two years was $1,770,000. December 31, 1894, the insurance in force was $2,730,000; in 1892 it was $1,266.300. The gain of insurance in two years was $1,464,540.
"There are several interesting lessons connected with the Mutual Life's agency work in Delaware during the last two years that ought to be observed and utilized at this time. In 1892 this company did only nine percent, of the total done by all the companies operating in the State; and the Equitable and New York Life both did a larger amount than the Mutual Life. In 1894 the Mutual Life did fifty-two percent, of the total, twice as much as the Equitable, and six times as much as the New York Life. In 1892 the Mutual Life had only 16.5 per cent, of all the insurance in force in the State, and stood number four in the list of twenty companies, the Equitable, the Penn Mutual, and the Provident Life and Trust being ahead. But in 1894 it was raised to the head of the list and held twenty-seven percent, of the total in all companies, it being ahead of the Equitable by $600,000, of the Penn Mutual by nearly $1,200,000, of the Provident Life and Trust by $1,300,000, and of the New York Life by $1,900,000. This business was obtained by legitimate soliciting methods and push, and without controversy with other companies. The total new business done in the State was increased by $1,800,00 in two years, of which increase the Mutual Life secured ninety-eight percent. The total insurance in force in all companies was increased by nearly $2,500,000, of which the Mutual Life secured three-fifths, and the balance was distributed among the smaller companies."
This remarkably large volume of business written in such a limited field resulted in the transfer of Mr. Lewis to a larger one in New York State, with headquarters in Albany, in January, 1895. Hesucceeded the old agencies of D. L. Boardman & Son and afterward Henry F. Boardman. This general agency is one of the oldest of the company, and since assuming charge of his new territory Mr. Lewis wrote during the year 1895 more than four times the amount of business written in 1894. This ratio has been proportionately increased during 1896. He has a large staff of special and local agents, and maintains a branch office in Troy, besides offices in smaller cities and towns throughout Eastern and Northwestern New York.
Mr. Lewis was married in April, 1895, to Miss Jennie B. Lindsay, of Wilmington, Delaware, daughter of David Lindsay, who is prominently identified with the large paper manufactory of the Jessup & Moore Paper Company, of Wilmington, New York, and Philadelphia.
In this brief summary of points in the career of T. Howard Lewis, general agent at Albany of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, it should be said, as excuse for any omission, that a biography of more pretension could best convey the lesson of his life of industry and intelligent management, which is full of instruction to all. His career, though only fairly begun, shows that honesty, capacity, and power to "hustle" receive their reward at last, and in good measure. For the past twelve years he has been associated with the Mutual Life, and during that time has displayed much wisdom in the management of his affairs.
