A company you can count on Welcome to
Kansas City Life Insurance Company
Since 1895, Kansas City Life Insurance Company has been dedicated to the present and future financial security of our customers. With more than 6,000 general agents and agents operating in 49 states and the District of Columbia, we serve individuals, families, small businesses and corporations with universal, term, whole and variable* life insurance; variable annuities*; fixed annuities; and a diverse range of group products. A promise of financial strength is only as good as the company that makes it. When Kansas City Life makes a promise, we stand behind it. Since 1895, we have assisted policyholders through world wars, the Great Depression and various periods of recession and inflation. Kansas City Life’s reputation is built on integrity, sound investment strategies and honest business practices. To us, integrity is not an outdated notion in today’s fast-paced world. It is the guiding force behind every decision we make. Every product we sell is backed by more than a century of quality service and financial security. *Securities are distributed through Sunset Financial Services Inc., 3520 Broadway, Kansas City, MO 64111; 816-753-7000 (Home Office). Member FINRA and SIPC.
3520 Broadway Kansas City, MO 64111 816-753-7000 www.kclife.com
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Fast Facts
• The Company was founded in 1895. • The original building was completed in 1924 at a cost of $1 million. • The West addition was finished in 1957 and the South building in 1985. • The Home Office sits on approximately five acres of land purchased for $200,000. • Approximately 550 associates work in the Home Office. • The main building’s front doors are made from bronze with pierced panels. Each panel features a symbolic design: Shield with chevrons for protection Oak leaf for strength Dolphin for beauty Sun for the light of the world Helmet for valor Burning lamp for life Burning torches for progress Shield with bar for guardianship Owl for wisdom
= Welcome to Kansas City Life Insurance Company =
Originally chartered as Bankers Life Association on May 1, 1895, the Company was founded by Major William Warner, President; J.H. North, Vice President; and S.E. Rumble, Secretary.
Rumble conceived the idea of forming a life insurance company in the “heart of America.” At the time, Kansas City was known as the Athens of the West and was the second largest city in the western half of the United States; only San Francisco was larger. The three officers along with six board members drew no salary. The Kansas City Life Insurance Company name was adopted in 1900. The Company began issuing policies in small amounts from an office in the Scheidley Building, located at Ninth and Main Streets in Kansas City, Mo. The first death claim was on Nov. 5, 1895, during the Company’s first year of business. In 1897, the growing company moved to the Navajo Building, then the Rialto Building, where it remained until 1924 when the Company moved to its present location. The Home Office sits on approximately five acres of land purchased for $200,000. Built for $1 million, the building was dedicated on Aug. 1, 1924. The building’s classical Greek design is most prominent in the Broadway Lobby. The walls are constructed of Italian travertine from the Catacombs, and the 20-foot-tall columns are made of Italian Boticiano marble. The Broadway Street Lobby is home to the Statue of Mercury, the messenger of good tidings and the protector of commerce. Jorgen C. Dreyer created the statue; the original is in the National Museum in Florence, Italy. The lobby also features eight murals painted by Daniel Mac Morris and Andrew Schwartz. Flanking the Home Office entrance are two granite lionesses that symbolize maternal protection and are used for Company identification. The lionesses were also created by Dreyer, who studied the lionesses at the local zoo. Another highlight of the Company’s Broadway Street entrance is the Kugel. Located in the 100th Anniversary Commemorative Plaza, the Kugel was built as a tribute to our Company’s 100th anniversary and our enduring commitment to policyholders. The perfectly balanced granite sphere weighs 2,155 pounds and its rotation changes direction every nine minutes. The ball stays in perpetual motion as it floats on a thin stream of water. For more information about the history of Kansas City Life Insurance Company, please contact Kris A. Jones, assistant vice president, Corporate Communications, at 816-753-7299, ext. 8663. Thank you for visiting Kansas City Life Insurance Company.
Our presidents Major William Warner 1895 to 1899
H.S. Halbert 1899 to 1904
J.B. Reynolds 1904 to 1937
D.T. Torrens 1937 to 1939
W.E. Bixby 1939 to 1964
J.R. Bixby 1964 to 1990
W.E. “Walt” Bixby 1990 to 1998
R. Philip Bixby 1998 to present