Biographical Sketch of Thomas H. MONTGOMERY (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 669-73. "THOMAS H. MONTGOMERY, president of the American Fire Insurance Company, of Philadelphia, who has aided so materially in establishing and guiding the affairs of this substantial organization to its present prestige and great prosperity, is a gentleman well known in insurance circles through- out the United States, and since 1882 has resided near West Chester, at his beautiful home, 'Ardrossan.' He is esteemed for his many generous qualities and fine business ability. President Montgomery was born in Philadelphia, February 23, 1830, and is a son of Rev. Dr. James and Mary Harrison (White) Montgomery. His father was the first rector of St. Stephen's church in Philadelphia, and died in 1834. His mother was a granddaughter of Bishop White, the first Bishop of Pennsylvania, in whose house, 309 Walnut street, she was born and married. She died August 2, 1875, aged sixty-nine years. They had a family of four children, only one of whom now survives. "President Montgomery received a superior English education at the old academy connected with the Pennsylvania university, but ill health pre- vented the completion of his projected college course. At seventeen he entered the well-known drug house of Charles Ellis & Co., and in 1851 graduated from the Philadelphia college of pharmacy. The same year he commenced his fire insurance career in the agency of Mr. Richard S. New- bold, formerly secretary of the Delaware Mutual Safety Insurance Company. He remained in this agency for a year, and then became engaged in the drug trade, but ill health again interrupted his plans and caused a change in his business connections. After a short respite from business he became interested in the organization of the Enterprise Insurance Company in 1859, and was appointed successively assistant secretary, secretary and vice-president. In October, 1871, by the advice of his physicians, his health being seriously impaired, he sailed for the West Indies, a few days before the Chicago fire, which brought ruin to many fire insurance com- panies, as well as to the Enterprise. News of this disaster did not reach Mr. Montgomery until more than six weeks after its occurrence. Returning to the United States in April, 1872, within a fortnight of his arrival he was elected general agent of the National board of fire underwriters. His services in this position were such as required great discretion, good temper, sound judgment and superior executive ability, and in the conflict of rival interests among executive officers, and the irritation to local agents by the enforcement of the decisions of the executive committee, Mr. Montgomery never lost the confidence of his superiors or the respect of the local agents of the country. "It is no post merely of honor to be the executive officer of such a great concern as the American Fire Insurance Company, transacting business all over the United States and outside of this country, and Mr. Montgomery is a busy man. But he has always had a capacity for work and a strong mas- tery of details. The reports of Mr. Montgomery as general agent of the National board are a part of the literature of fire underwriting. Above the mere report of detail work, they take a wide view from an exalted plane, and present what is possible in the profession of fire underwrit- ing. In the practical discontinuance of the effective operations of the National board, at the annual meeting, in April, 1877, Mr. Montgomery presented his resignation as general agent, which was not at that time accepted. His resignation was received in February, 1878, and took effect on May 1st of that year. He shortly afterward accepted a position with the old North America, and in 1879 returned to Philadelphia, and was in November, 1880, elected treasurer of that company, but in the same month he was elected to the vice-presidency of the American Fire Insurance Com- pany, which he accepted and entered on its duties early in December fol- lowing. On the retirement of President Maris, on account of age and in- firmities, Mr. Montgomery succeeded to the position of president, April 25, 1882, which position he now holds. He married in October, 1860, Anna, daughter of Samuel George Morton, M. D., the distinguished ethnologist, and president of the academy of Natural sciences. "President Montgomery is an experienced, thorough and practical insurance man, who grew up with the insurance business and is thoroughly conversant with all its ins and outs, has studied it and knows it well. This is how the 'Underwriter' described him not long ago: 'It is something to be the executive officer of a corporation bearing the name 'American.' The com- petitions in fire underwriting have become international, and the corpora- tion that enters the lists as distinctively 'American' in its name, aspir- ations and in its traditions, appeals to patriotic sentiment and awakens a pride and cordial interest in its success on the part of every true son of Columbia. The worthy president of the 'American' of Philadelphia is a true representative of the very best type of Americans, and in sentiment is in harmony with the true American spirit. He is the candle in the candlestick - a true American at the head of a strong American corpora- tion. The career of Mr. Montgomery is one worthy of emulation on the part of younger underwriters. He has achieved success by honest work, not by mere smartness, as this term is generally used. His life is pure, his methods clean, and in the management of his company there are displayed the abilities of an experienced underwriter, the courtesies of a gentle- man, and the principles of a Christian. The American Fire Insurance Com- pany occupies its own building on Walnut street, Philadelphia, and is one of the few American companies which has secured a European connection, and is a worthy representative in England of the solvency and honorable meth- ods of American fire underwriting.' "Mr. Montgomery is a member of both the Pennsylvania and New York Histor- ical societies, and having strong genealogical tastes, he has produced genealogical histories of the Montgomery and White families, beside con- tributing special articles to historical literature. He is accounting warden of Christ church, Philadelphia, and senior warden of the church of the Holy Trinity, West Chester, and is also a manager of the old Philadel- phia Saving Fund society. Three of the managers of this society, by the way, are in the board of directors of the American Fire Insurance Company."