This month in New York Life history—September.

At New York Life

Sep 1, 2005

New York Life announced the company's foundation would donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to support those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The company also matched donations from employees, agents and retirees.    

Sep 2, 1945

World War II came to an end with the formal surrender of Japan (Germany had surrendered May 8). The war would bring several changes to New York Life’s operations. The rise in marriage, birth and home ownership rates brought a surge to the life insurance business as Americans sought to ensure the security of their new families.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, New York Life would regularly set records for insurance sales. Returning veterans and the marriage and childrearing boom of the postwar years also created an acute housing shortage in the United States. New York Life moved to help satisfy this demand by increasing its investments in residential rental properties, home mortgage loans and public utilities. 

Sep 8, 1900

Women’s rights icon Susan B. Anthony pledged her New York Life policy to a fundraising drive to get women admitted to the University of Rochester. The drive was on its last day and short of the goal the university had set as a precondition of admitting women. Anthony’s pledge put the goal over the top, and the University of Rochester became coeducational.

Sep 11, 2001

Terrorist attacks on the United States prompted the largest disaster response in New York Life’s history. Immediately after the attacks, the company announced its commitment to pay all claims swiftly and compassionately, waiving the usual requirement for proof of death for the claims.

Within days, the company would produce two public service announcements for the American Red Cross and donate $1.5 million of its commercial time on national cable networks to air the announcements. Additionally, the New York Life Foundation made a $3 million contribution to the September 11th Fund and sponsored a matching gift program for New York Life agents, employees and retirees who donated to the American Red Cross’s relief fund.

Sep 14, 1901

The 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, was a New York Life policyholder.  Tragically, President McKinley died of gunshot wounds he sustained from an assassin on September 6. Upon McKinley’s death, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt became president. Roosevelt signed a New York Life policy of his own two months later on November 16. 

Sep 24, 2013

New York Life announced it had reached a definite agreement to acquire Dexia Asset Management, a firm with offices in Europe and Australia that managed nearly $100 billion in assets. Soon after the sale was completed in February 2014, Dexia changed its name to Candriam Investors Group. 

Today, Candriam is a leading global asset manager with $115 billion in AUM* (assets under management.) Candriam has been a leader in sustainable and responsible investing (SRI) for over 20 years and have one of the largest SRI research teams in continental Europe, enabling them to provide a broad range of SRI strategies across geographic regions and asset classes.

Sep 24, 2016

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in Washington, D.C. New York Life was one of the museum’s founding donors with a donation of $1 million. 

Sep 27, 2000

New York Life’s website, newyorklife.com, launched an online customer service center. It was one of the first major insurance companies to offer services over the internet. 

Around the world

September 1, 1939

At 5.30 a.m., Hitler's armies invaded Poland starting World War II in Europe.

September 2, 1789 

The third Presidential cabinet department, the U.S. Treasury, was established by Congress.

September 2, 1923

The first elections were held in the Irish Free State after achieving independence from Britain.

September 3, 1838

Anti-slavery leader Frederick Douglass began his escape from slavery by boarding a train in Baltimore dressed as a sailor. He rode to Wilmington, Delaware, where he caught a steamboat to the free city of Philadelphia, then took a train to New York City where he came under the protection of the Underground Railway network.

September 11, 2001

The worst terrorist attack in U.S. history occurred as four large passenger jets were hijacked then crashed, killing nearly 3,000 persons.

September 13, 1788

The U.S. Congress chose New York as the Federal capital of the new American government.

September 14, 1741

Composer George Frederick Handel finished Messiah after working on it nonstop for 23 days.

September 24, 1957

President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the National Guard to enforce racial integration of schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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