CREATING A SOLID FOUNDATION
FOR A GROWING BUSINESS

The roots of Pacific Life can be traced to insurance salesmen Simon Schreiber and Josiah Howell. They asked: Could a life insurance provider in California serve policyholders better than those on the East Coast, which charged West Coast residents higher premiums and had long processing times? After canvassing prominent businessmen to invest in the new company, Schreiber and Howell became general agents of Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company of California, incorporated on January 2, 1868, in Sacramento. Stockholder Leland Stanford, a prominent railway executive and former governor, was named president.

With customer-focused policies, the company grew quickly. In 1881, Pacific Mutual moved its headquarters to San Francisco, where further investment opportunities abounded. By the start of the 20th century, Pacific Mutual had become a national company, with agents operating in 40 states and territories.