Episode 3 — Twain

In this third episode of Tales From Insurance Land, we look back to the growth of Hartford, Connecticut, as one of the leading centers of insurance in the United States. By the 1870s, Hartford’s place on the insurance stage was so prominent that it drew the attention of the then-famous English insurance writer Cornelius Walford, author of the multi-volume Insurance Cyclopædia. Walford visited Hartford in October 1874 and gave what was supposed to be a legendary speech to the local insurance luminaries about the industry. But as fate would have it, none other than Mark Twain was there to give a rebuttal.

What in the world was Mark Twain doing at a gathering of insurance big-shots in Hartford? And what did he say? You’ve got to listen to this podcast episode to believe it. And in the process, you might just learn a little bit about the important role that underwriting plays in the claims process.

CREDITS: Simon Jackson played the role of Cornelius Walford; Donny Baarns played the role of William Seaver; Professor Hans Von Puppet played the role Archibald Ashley Welch; Dane read newspaper text from the Hartford Courant; and Collins Hughes played the role of Mark Twain.

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