T. Harry
Williams Center for Oral History Collection
INTERVIEWEE NAME: Paul Arst # 4700.0503
IDENTIFICATION: chartered life
underwriter, member of Baton Rouge insurance community, member of LSU Alumni
Hall of Distinction
INTERVIEWER: R. Robert
Rackley
PROJECT: Baton Rouge
Insurance Industry
DATES: 1 February 1995 FOCUS
DATES: 1938 - 1970s
ABSTRACT:
Tape 718
Arst enters insurance business in 1948;
educational background; born in Mississippi Delta; followed older brother to
LSU; Arst's family; whole career at Prudential; how Arst got started in
insurance business at age 26; World War II; Rider's jewelry; contacts in Baton
Rouge; work ethic; appeal of insurance business; office in old Mayer Hotel
building; why he chose to work for Prudential; commission work; interviews
with Sidney Marks; management structure; other insurance companies in Baton
rouge in the 1940s; Prudential manager
Bert Lent; recalls first policies he sold; Bob Bowlus and Louis Fasullo of Equitable;
Tom Berry of Life Underwriters and New York Life; Murray Shores and George
Fairburn of Pan-American; Prudential training program; Charted Life Underwriter
designation; Arst takes insurance exams; reputation of life insurance agents;
Herman Englehart of Franklin Life Insurance Company; state regulation of
insurance; insurance licensing;
describes typical agency in 40s and 50s; secretarial assistance;
restructuring today; medical examiners; early sales career; Million Dollar
Round Table; Arst qualifies for Round Table in 1954; Chuck Gaines; types of life insurance; significant changes in
industry between 1948 and the 60s; important personalities in insurance
industry during Arst's career; Eunice Bush, first female manager of a Mutual
New York Agency; George Morris of Prudential, from Amarillo, Texas and his
views on taxes; Heidelburg Hotel; Baton Rouge Association of Life Underwriters;
association president H.G. Yarbrough; Bob
Young of Aetna; Charlie Gogreve of New York Life; National Association of
Life Underwriters; Arst past president of state association; community work;
local C.L.U. organized by Joe Henry Baynard of John Hancock; evolution of
Arst's career through 1960s and 70s; universal life; firm of Arst, MacArthur
and Robert; Frank MacArthur; Jim Robert; Million Dollar Round Table meetings at
The Greenbrier in West Virginia; Weldon Curry; Round Table meeting in
Montreal; Arst meets his wife, Ellen,
on a blind date in Birmingham on the way to his first Round Table
meeting in 1956, marries her six weeks later; introduction of life
insurance companies to the equity business; key to life insurance sales; future
of insurance industry; recalls memorable clients and episodes in business; Arst's involvement in LSU alumni affairs;
purpose of life insurance business; personal business philosophy.
TAPES: T 718 TOTAL
PLAYING TIME: 1 hour, 30 minutes
# PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 56
RESTRICTIONS: