"George Allen Beavers Jr"[October 30,1891-October 12,1989]

Was the board chairman of Golden State Mutual Insurance Company,which at one time was the largest black-owned west of the Mississippi.He was born to a poor family in Atlanta Georgia.At the age of 12,he moved with his family to California,where his father got a job with the Pacific Electric Railroad Company.During his summer vacations,from Los Angeles High School the younger Beavers,would work for the railroad as a water boy.He graduated from high school,got married in 1911 and took a job at the German-American Bank (later Security Pacific National Bank) as an elevator operator.He was later promoted to stock clerk and then messenger at the firm.During World War 1,George worked at the Los Angeles Foundry as a molder helper. He was exempt from military service due to the loss of an eye as a teenager.A major activity at this time was helping to establish the People's Independent Church of Christ.Led by entrepreneur and real estate J.H. Shackleford,the church was founded in 1915 and located at 1025 East 18th Street in Los Angeles J.H. Shackleford became chairman of the board of trustees and George served as acting secretary.Through his affiliations with J.H. and the church,George began selling real estate at G.W. Wheatley Real Estate.In the early 1920s,Williams Nickerson Jr,.an insurance salesman who had recently opened the Los Angeles branch of the Texas-based American Mutual Benefit Association,approached the congregation of the People's Church and after much discussion,convinced many of its members to purchase insurance.Presumably,it was at this time that George first encountered William.In 1922,after George had purchased an insurance policy With American Mutual,he joined the sales team on a part time-time basis.The following year,when their superintendent of agents Norman Oliver Houston left the firm to join Liberty Building and Loan Association,George assumed his position with the company.In November 1924,when William contract with American Mutual was not renewed,he asked George to join him along with Norman,to run the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company.At the time,there was little or no insurance available for he roughly 16,000 African-Americans living in Los Angeles.To help meet state requirements to form a corporation,William assigned George with the task of securing 500 clients who were willing to pay their premiums in advance.George became the vice president of the new corporations with William as president and Norman as secretary/treasurer.They started in a small,one-room office on 1435 South Central Avenue.While the company flourished,George,as did William and Norman,also became a community leader.He was recognized for community service by president Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman and by Los Angeles mayors spanning Fletcher Bowron to Tom Bradley.He's also the recipient of the 1959 Gold Award presented by the George Washington Carver Institute.When William died in 1945,George became Chairman of the Board.In 1962,he was elected President of the National Insurance Association,a trade organization representing 48-black-owned insurance companies.George served as board chairman of Golden State until 1966,when he resigned from the position citing health reasons.George died in Los Angeles.At the time of his death,Golden State Mutual Insurance Company was the third largest black insurance company with offices in 22 states and the District of Columbia.