State Farm® – 1940s & 1950s

We're No. 1. Our reign as the nation's top auto insurer began in 1942. History has a way of repeating itself, doesn't it? We've been No. 1 every year since.

Our passion for car insurance helped us reach our auto policy goal of "A Million or More by '44."

Our 25th anniversary marked continued growth and business success — and a need for full time "career agents." By the late 1940s, State Farm agents began receiving extensive training, along with innovative sales and business management tools.

Innovation started early at State Farm and always with customer service in mind. Along our way, we used sewing machines instead of paste and paper clips to attach policy documents together and speed up processing. Our mail carriers wore roller skates to help ensure prompt delivery and service.

Employer of choice wasn't the buzz term back then, but we've always taken good care of our employees. When credit options in the marketplace were deemed "unsatisfactory" by Company leaders in the 1930s, the credit union was born. By 1950, the credit union had issued $1.5 million in loans. In 2006, individual Company credit unions merged to form the State Farm Federal Credit Union.

"Red Barber's Corner" marked State Farm's first network television sponsorship. Nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead," Barber (1908-1992) is best known for calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Yankees.

Homeowners insurance was added to State Farm product offerings in 1955. Less than a decade later, we had already become the No. 1 writer of homeowners insurance.

Our first computer was enough to leave you longing for your laptop. It was impressive for the mid-1950s, but the magnetic drum electronic data processing machine took up a lot of space to store just 10,000 characters.