Record Group 3.1: Liberty Life Insurance Company Legal Department Records, 1912 - 1981
Scope and Content
The Legal Department not only provided services in settling disputed claims but also gave counsel and advice for a broad spectrum of corporate management. Such activities as the acquisition and sale of subsidiaries, personnel problems, the creation of pension plans, income tax matters, and negotiations with state and federal governmental agencies were all in the purview of the Legal Department. These files contain information on competitor insurance companies and portray the difficulties in obtaining radio and TV station licenses. Particularly interesting are the early records, which help document the careers of W. Frank Hipp, Henry Vogel, and G. Richard Shafto.
As a note of caution, the eight different Surety Series present a potentially confusing situation to researcher, as the word "Surety" was used as a catch-all to name various Hipp family-controlled satellite corporations. Doyle Bogg's The Liberty Spirit: History of The Liberty Corporation (1986) deals with the origins of Surety (see especially p. 41). A separate reference file entitled "Surety" exists in RG 11.4, The Liberty Corporation Archives.
Dates
- 1912 - 1981
Agency History
The development of the Legal Department is an outgrowth of the office of the in-house attorney, or general counsel. Wyatt Aiken (ca. 1930-1933) was the first person to hold this position. In June 1931, Robert R. Scales, Jr. joined the management team of The Liberty Life Insurance Company, and his career (1931-1977) is a barometer of the ever-increasing importance of the Legal Department in Liberty's operations. His correspondence and working papers are prominent throughout this record sub-group. By the early 1950's, attorneys G. H. Cleveland and John W. Lindsay had joined Scales at Liberty Life. R. E. McDonald, Vice-President for Claims, was also involved in legal decision making. In 1971, legal services from all subsidiaries under the direction of David W. Robinson II. In 1975, R. Glenn Hilliard succeeded Robinson as department chief with the title of Legal Vice-President and Secretary. After Hilliard became president of Liberty Life Insurance Company in 1981, Martha G. Williams was named to head the Legal Department.
Extent
11.75 Cubic Feet (including oversize items and photographs.)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Introduction
The Legal Department records document a wide array of corporate activities of Liberty Life Insurance Company, predecessor and satellite corporations, and firms acquired by Liberty. They contain important "brick and mortar" material such as corporate charters, by-laws, board of directors' minutes, and rosters of stockholders. Record Sub-Group 3.1 holds research potential in the areas of twentieth-century South Carolina economic history and the history of mass communications in the South, and provides a rich source of reference material for internal use by The Liberty Corporation.
Arrangement
The arrangement of this collection is by record series according to the specific corporation. Within each series, the records are organized in an alphabetical subject file.
Provenance
These records were transferred to The Liberty Corporation Archives from the Legal Department in 1982 and 1983. This collection is comprised to accessions 82-53, 82-55, and 83-22.
Processing Information
Susan Hult processed these records in 1985. The material was accessioned by Special Collections as accession 94-54. Kristina Cathcart reboxed the records in 1999. This register was drafted by Joey Keaton in 1986 and revised by Bryan F. McKown in 1987 and James Cross in 2000.
Creator
- From the Collection: Liberty Corporation (other_unmapped, Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository