The Ted Lussem Collection

Ted Lussem died last year after a long life dedicated to the insurance industry and his community. Ted was a mentor to many successful insurance professionals. He hosted study groups for all programs offered by The Institutes and that created a significant talent pool in Des Moines. He is responsible for much of the economic success we enjoy in Des Moines today. There will never be another Ted. Here is a link to Ted’s bio on the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame website (a group that he championed for 21 years.)  https://iihof.org/recipients/theodore-d-lussem-2000/  Here is the eulogy I gave about Ted: Ted Lussem Eulogy 

I am pleased that a suitable home for the books and other memorabilia that Ted Lussem collected has been found thanks to Bruce Kelley.The Lussem collection along with several boxes of Preferred Risk/GuideOne artifacts from my collection were donated to the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library at St. John's University--Manhattan Campus

Below is a photo of the archives. The 12 crates on the left are CPCU artifacts back to the 1953 founding of the chapter. The nine on the far right are archives for the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame that date back to its founding in 1997. The middle 18 crates are Ted’s books and memorabilia.

The director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library, Ismael Rivera-Sierra, traveled to Iowa to organize and pack the items for safe transport.  St John’s chartered a moving company to drive to Iowa to pick it up and take it directly to the library.  Here are photos of the packing"party." Marylynn Paul, my wife Debbie, and the Iowa FAIR Plan staff "volunteered" to help. Actually, we had a great time working together and investigating the numerous items.

Of course, I had to show off Des Moines as an insurance center and a great place to live to Ishmael.

Fire Marks

 

Fire marks are metal plaques that were attached to buildings to confirm that the building was insured against fire. The concept originated in London in the early 17th century, following the Great Fire of London in 1666.

The idea spread to America in the 18th century, with the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1752, using fire marks that often depicted a fire hose, fire bucket, or the company’s emblem.

Fire marks served to indicate that a property was insured, and that the insurance company had a vested interest in protecting it. The use of fire marks declined in the 19th century as municipal fire services became more common making them less necessary. 

Today, fire marks are valued as historical artifacts, representing the early days of fire protection and insurance. 

There are many fire mark reproductions on display at the Iowa FAIR Plan Association office in West Des Moines, Iowa. Theses fire marks were donated from two collections, one owned by Ted Lussem and the other by Robert Conroy.