When North American Life & Casualty Co.’s new home office building on Lowry hill is dedicated Thursday, it will be a personal tribute to H. P. Skoglund, president of the company. The dedication will mark the culmination of 15 years of effort during which Skoglund saw the company’s premium income climb from $100,000 in 1933 to the last fiscal year. Skoglund joined North American during the depression. The concern was licensed then to operate only in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
North American’s most recent main office was at 2222 Park Avenue. with other departments in the Syndicate and Baker buildings. The dedication ceremonies will open a three-day convention of agents of North American at which nationally prominent insurance men are scheduled to speak. During the ceremonies Skoglund will pay special tribute to 52 “sales builders,” including six Minneapolis men responsible for the firm’s growth during the last 10 years.
The new building has four stories and a one-story wing containing 100,000 square feet of floor space. It is constructed so that more stories can be added to meet later needs. Gov. Luther Youngdahl and Armand W. Harris, state insurance commissioner, will represent the state at the dedication. Others who will speak are Holgar J. Johnson, president, Institute of Life Insurance, New York city; V.M. Skutt, Omaha, Neb., president, Accident and Health Underwriters Conference; Robert Hogg, Chicago, executive vice president, American Life Convention, and Skoglund.
Minneapolis Star- June 30th, 1948