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Nickerson Family, Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company Papers, 1923-2000
MSS 084  
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Collection Contents

 

Series I. William J. Nickerson, Jr., 1923-1949

Physical Description: 19 folders

Scope and Content Note

This series contains correspondence and writings and papers of William J. Nickerson, Jr. (WJN) founder of Golden State Mutual Insurance Company. The correspondence, almost entirely outgoing from WJN, are letters to family members and regarding civic matters in addition to the majority which were to his agents, heads of departments, supervisors and other businessmen. All WJN correspondence was issued from his business offices. The correspondence to his son's Victor and Earl, and some other family members have been separated out for easier location. However the Earl Nickerson and family correspondence were originally in the GSM correspondence. The letters to Victor Nickerson (VAN) came from VAN's papers, but were placed in this series as they were authored by WJN.
The letters of recommendation were written on his behalf as introductions when he first came to Los Angeles as well as some to help him enter certain organizations, etc. The writings by Nickerson include speeches that were delivered at civic events. The motivational writings were to his employees and staff. A small item of interest is a letter in folder 1/6 from W.J. Trent, Jr., an instructor of economics at Livingston College. It includes the chapter outline of a book on the history of Negro insurance enterprises, beginning in the 18th century.
Box-folder 1/1-1/12

Correspondence

Box-folder 1/1

American Mutual Benefit Association, 1923-1925, 1930

Box-folder 1/2

American Mutual Benefit Association, 1931

Box-folder 1/3

J.B. Grisby, 1932

Box-folder 1/4 -1/9

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance

Box-folder 1/4

1931

Box-folder 1/5

1932

Box-folder 1/6

1933

Box-folder 1/7

1936-1939

Box-folder 1/8

1940, 1941

Box-folder 1/9

Letters of recommendation for employees, 1940-1945

Box-folder 1/10

Victor A. Nickerson (son), 1938-1940

Box-folder 1/11

Earl Nickerson (son - letters to and RE), 1931-1933

Box-folder 1/12

Family, 1923,1932, 1933, 1939

Box-folder 1/13-1/15

Writings by WJN

Box-folder 1/13

Speeches, 1933, 1938-1940

Box-folder 1/14

Speeches, 1940-1945

Box-folder 1/15

Motivational Materials, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1932-33, 1938-40, 1942, 1945

Box-folder 1/16

Speeches by others, 1925, 1940

Box-folder 1/17

Letters of Recommendation for WJN, 1923-25, 1930, 1931, 1933

Box-folder 1/18

Biographies of WJN, 1945, 1948, 1949

Box-folder 1/19

Prairie View Club, 1935, 1938, 1939, n.d.

 

Series II. Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, 1923-1983

Physical Description: 24 folders

Scope and Content Note

This series includes various documents regarding the agents and practices of the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company (GSM). There is a small amount of material from Victor A. Nickerson while he was working at the company. Annual reports, personnel applications, letters of recommendation and depictions of events are also included. There are a few clippings about GSM and insurance in general. The assorted file contains a brochure about the business, a calendar, a cardboard calculator, checks written by the founder and an organizational chart of the company. There are materials about the insurance business in general gathered by the founder and first director, William J. Nickerson. This series contains several publications put out by the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company. These changed name and format over time. The newspapers have articles relating to WJN and GSM. Notable are early issues of the California Eagle.
Box-folder 2/1

Victor A. Nickerson correspondence, 1937-1940

Box-folder 2/2

Victor A. Nickerson exam report, 1931

Box-folder 2/3

Victor A. Nickerson motivational materials, 1932, 1938-1939, n.d.

Box-folder 2/4

Annual reports and statements, 1938, 1952, 1960, 1977-80, 1992

Box-folder 1/20

Conferences, 1941-1946, 1969, 1977

Box-folder 2/6

Assorted materials, 1925, 1928, 1940

Box-folder 2/7

Home office building, 1949, 1949-1978

Box-folder 2/8

Policy and procedures, 1946-1947

Box-folder 2/9

Underwriting policy application reports and ledgers, 1946-1948

Box-folder 2/10

Underwriting department, various documents and notes, 1947

Box-folder 2/11

Agent list, debit list, 1938, 1948

Box-folder 2/12

Premium rate cards, 1947, 1948, n.d.

Box-folder 2/13

Sample policy application forms, n.d.

Box-folder 2/14

General correspondence, 1931-1931, 1939, 1942

Box-folder 2/15

International department, 1932

Box-folder 2/16

Notes and memos, 1946, 1948

Box-folder 2/17

Clippings, 1926, 1927, 1956, 1959, 1977

Box-folder 2/18

Insurance industry various printed material, 1938,1940, 1947, n.d.

Box-folder 2/19-2/24, 5

Publications

Box-folder 2/19

"Golden State," Vest Pocket Bulletin, numbers 1-11, n.d.

Box-folder 2/20

The Torch, 1947-1949

Box-folder 2/21

Golden State Messenger, 1944, 1945, 1951, 1952, 1959

Box-folder 5

Messenger, May 1949

Box-folder 2/22

The Golden Pen, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976

Box-folder 2/23

The Golden Pen, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983

Box-folder 5

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company News Bulletin, January 1939, July 1941, January 1942

Box-folder 2/24

Pamphlets, fliers and articles, n.d.

Box-folder 2/25, 5

Photographs

Box-folder 2/25

1925, 1927, 1938, 1981, n.d.

Box-folder 5

Golden State Mutual Leaders Round Table, March 1973

Box-folder 5

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance in Las Vegas, March 1974

Box-folder 5

Newspapers

Box-folder 5

California Eagle, 1925, 1938, 1941, 1943

Box-folder 5

Dallas Gazette, 1931

Box-folder 5

Los Angeles Examiner, 1937

Box-folder 5

Los Angeles Sentinel, 1964

Box-folder 5

Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, 1931

Box-folder 5

Los Angeles Times, 1958

Box-folder 5

San Antonio Register, 1943

 

Series III. Victor A. Nickerson, 1906-1999

Physical Description: 18 folders

Scope and Content Note

This series contains correspondence, photographs, newspapers, clippings and pamphlets of Victor A. Nickerson (VAN), his family, business and civic activities. Folders 3/4 to 3/8 have correspondence relating to the lawsuit the Nickerson family lodged to correctly identify William J. Nickerson, Jr. as the founder of GSM. The Nickerson Gardens folder contains VAN correspondence objecting to the naming of a public housing project after WJM. The family materials include a family tree, photocopies of family photographs dating from the late 19th century and many snapshots of VAN's family.
Box-folder 3/1

Victor A. Nickerson, biographical interview, September 15, 1974

Box-folder 3/2

Family tree, n.d.

Box-folder 3/3

Assorted family documents, 1949, 1989, 1997

Box-folder 3/4-3/8

Golden State Mutual lawsuit

Box-folder 3/4

Almena Lomax correspondence, 1974,1975

Box-folder 3/5

Family to GSM correspondence, 1976-1978

Box-folder 3/6

Marilyn V. Freytag, Goldman, Stone & Freytag correspondence, 1977-1978

Box-folder 3/7

Intra-familial correspondence, 1977, 1978, 1980

Box-folder 3/8

Clippings, 1976, 1981, 1984

Box-folder 3/9

Nickerson Gardens, 1977, 1990

Box-folder 3/10

Urban League, Real Estate workshop reports, 1950, 1952

Box-folder 3/11

Consolidated Realty Board, 1965, 1974, 1980

Box-folder 3/12

Our Authors Study Club, 1954-1955

Box-folder 4/1-4/9

Photographs

Box-folder 4/1

Family 8 x 10 black and white, ca. late 1900s - 1980s, n.d.

Box-folder 4/2

Family color snapshots, 1930s-1980s

Box-folder 4/3

Victor A. Nickerson, military, 1944, 1945, n.d.

Box-folder 4/4

Trips, 1974, 1978, n.d.

Box-folder 4/5

Business and civic events, 1947, 1953, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1998, n.d.

Box-folder 4/6

Union Oil, 1953, 1965, n.d.

Box-folder 4/7

Friends and business associates, color snapshots, n.d.

Box-folder 4/8

Residences, 1961, 1976, 1983, 1987, 1988, n.d.

Box-folder 4/9

Famous persons, 1933, 1979, 1989, n.d.

Box-folder 4/10

Travel postcards, 1968, 1974-1975, 1976, 1978-1979, 1983, 1989, 1990-1993, 1997, 1998

Box-folder 5

Clipping, Our Times, A Supplement to the Los Angeles Times, 2000