The History of Geico Insurance
GEICO was founded in 1936 by Leo Goodwin, Sr. and his wife Lillian to provide auto insurance directly to federal government employees and their families.[2] Since 1925, Goodwin had worked for USAA, an insurer which specialized in insuring only military personnel; he decided to start his own company after rising as far as a civilian could go in USAA 's military-dominated hierarchy. Based on Goodwin 's experience at USAA, GEICO 's original business model was predicated on the assumption that federal employees as a group would constitute a less risky and more financially stable pool of insureds, as opposed to the general public. Despite the presence of the word "government" in its name, GEICO has always been a private corporation not affiliated with any government organization.
In 1937, the Goodwins relocated GEICO from San Antonio, TX to Washington, D.C. and reincorporated the company as a D.C. corporation after realizing that their business model would work best in the place with the highest concentration of federal employees.
An important figure in GEICO 's history is David Lloyd Kreeger, who became president of the company in 1965 and helped steer it into a major insurance enterprise. In 1948, he formed a group of investors who bought into GEICO right before it went public that year. He became senior vice president and general counsel of the company. Six years after becoming president of GEICO in 1964, he was named chairman and chief executive officer. He retained those titles until he retired in 1975. He continued as chairman of the executive committee until 1979, when he was named honorary chairman.[3]
In 1974, under Kreeger 's leadership, GEICO began to insure the general public, after real-time access to computerized driving records became available throughout the United States, and it was briefly the fifth-largest U.S. auto insurer. By 1975, it was clear that GEICO had expanded far too rapidly (during the 1973–75 recession) when it reported a $126.5
In 1937, the Goodwins relocated GEICO from San Antonio, TX to Washington, D.C. and reincorporated the company as a D.C. corporation after realizing that their business model would work best in the place with the highest concentration of federal employees.
An important figure in GEICO 's history is David Lloyd Kreeger, who became president of the company in 1965 and helped steer it into a major insurance enterprise. In 1948, he formed a group of investors who bought into GEICO right before it went public that year. He became senior vice president and general counsel of the company. Six years after becoming president of GEICO in 1964, he was named chairman and chief executive officer. He retained those titles until he retired in 1975. He continued as chairman of the executive committee until 1979, when he was named honorary chairman.[3]
In 1974, under Kreeger 's leadership, GEICO began to insure the general public, after real-time access to computerized driving records became available throughout the United States, and it was briefly the fifth-largest U.S. auto insurer. By 1975, it was clear that GEICO had expanded far too rapidly (during the 1973–75 recession) when it reported a $126.5
References: Jump up ^ Revenue: premiums written (2004), from Berkshire Hathaway 10-K. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, December 31, 2004. Accessed 17 December 2009. Jump up ^ GEICO History: An American Success Story. GEICO official site. Accessed 18 December 2009. Jump up ^ Fowler, Glenn. "David Lloyd Kreeger Dead at 81; Insurance Official and Arts Patron" (obituary). The New York Times, November 20, 1990. Accessed 17 December 2009. Jump up ^ http://www.geico.com/about/commercials/music/kash/ Jump up ^ "Consumer Reports October 2010".