Mildred Fairbanks Stone

Mildred Fairbanks Stone (b.1902) of Bloomfield became the first female officer of a major American life insurance company. She was elected for the position at Mutual Benefit.

Stone had started with Mutual Benefit in 1925. As a fresh-faced recent college graduate, she was assigned to the agency personnel secretary position and encouraged to help solve Mutual Benefit’s morale problems. The concept of adequate life insurance had changed during the years of WW1. The company faced significant gaps in age and outlook within its sales force. Stone immediately threw herself into the work environment and has been credited with maintaining positive relations among employees for decades. Affectionately known as “mother of the agents” and Stone was elected officer of Mutual Benefit in 1934. Stone remained with the company for 43 years.