Historical Timeline
1927
Herman Wittwer launches Farmers Mutual Automobile Insurance Company on Oct. 3 in Madison, Wis.
1930
Company establishes National Mutual Auto Insurance Company to sell to nonfarmers.
1933
Farmers Mutual and National Mutual merge. Farmers Mutual enters Minnesota.
1935
Farmers Mutual establishes State Farm Mutual of Madison, Wis., to sell windstorm insurance.
1938
Both premiums and assets surpass $1 million.
1939
American Family opens for business in Missouri.
1940
Farmers Mutual becomes licensed in Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
1943
Farmers Mutual becomes licensed in Indiana and Kansas.
1948
Company renames State Farm Mutual of Madison as Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Wisconsin.
1949
Farmers Mutual licensed in Iowa.
1952
Farmers Mutual begins sales begin in Illinois.
1957
Farmers Mutual offers its own sickness and accident insurance.
1958
Company introduces homeowners insurance and opens American Family Life Insurance Company.
1959
Farmers Mutual enters computer age with the RAMAC 305.
1961
American Standard begins sales.
1962
Company offers farmowners insurance.
1963
Policyholders approve changing company’s name to American Family Mutual Insurance Company.
1965
American Family copyrights jingle.
1966
American Family begins selling in Colorado.
1975
American Family introduces Commercial Lines. Company becomes fifth-largest mutual auto insurer.
1981
Assets surpass $1 billion. American Family becomes fourth-largest mutual auto insurance company.
1985
American Family Brokerage, Inc. opens.
1986
President Dale Mathwich introduces "Strong, growing and friendly" motto. American Family posts its first $100 million operating gain. Sales begin in Arizona.
1992
Policyholders’ surplus exceeds $1 billion. Company completes construction of national headquarters.
1994
American Family rolls out one-of-a-kind catastrophe trailer. Company ranks as the 11th-largest property/casualty insurer.
1995
American Family opens for business in Ohio.
1996
American Family first appears on Fortune 500 list at number 403.
1997
American Family becomes 10th-largest property/casualty insurer in the nation. Assets surpass $8 billion.
1998
American Family begins selling in Oregon.
2001
American Family begins doing business in Nevada.
2002
American Family opens for business in Idaho and Utah.
2005
American Family and the Green Bay Packers raise more than $1 million for breast cancer prevention, treatment and research through the sale of pink Packers caps.
2006
American Family begins sales in Washington.
2007
American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wis., celebrates grand opening, with American Family serving as lead donor.
2009
American Family opens for business in Georgia.