Harleysville Group Chairman Bradford W. Mitchell Dies at Age 70
Bradford W. Mitchell, chairman of the board of Harleysville Group Inc., died suddenly on Monday, June 1, 1998. He was 70.
"Brad's death is an enormous loss to the Harleysville family, to me personally, and to all the insurance industry and community organizations that have benefited from his leadership over the years. He was a man of vision and foresight. He will be missed," says Walter R. Bateman, Harleysville Group's president and chief executive officer.
Mitchell joined Harleysville on January 1, 1976, as president and director. He was elected chief executive officer in 1977 and chairman of the board in 1985. He retired as CEO in 1993, but continued to serve as chairman. Under Mitchell's leadership, the company initiated its long-term goal of establishing a national network of regional insurance companies. As he explained in the company's 1983 annual report: "We will strive to become a major force in the insurance industry by building a national network of regional companies. We plan to accomplish this ... by establishing a network of regional companies across the country, each reflective of the 'hands-on' management style which has become Harleysville's trademark."
Harleysville's consolidated operations grew dramatically during his tenure. From 1975 through the end of 1993, premium volume increased more than 900 percent, assets rose more than thirteenfold, policyholder surplus increased over 750 percent and employment quadrupled. Today, by continuing to pursue that strategy, the Harleysville organization is comprised of 16 companies operating in 31 states in the eastern and midwestern United States with assets of more than $2.4 billion and annual premiums of more than $900 million.
Active in the insurance industry, Mitchell served as chairman of the National Association of Independent Insurers and the Property/Casualty Insurance Council, and as president of the Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. He also served on the boards of the American Institute for Property & Liability Underwriters, Insurance Services Office, National Association of OTC Companies and National Council on Compensation Insurance.
Mitchell was also active in the community, serving on the board of Harleysville National Bank & Trust Company, Grand View Hospital Foundation, Lansdale Development Foundation and the North Penn United Way, where he also served as president. He chaired the United Way's 1984 fundraising campaign, leading the organization to its first-ever million dollar effort. In 1986, he was honored with the "Distinguished Service Award" from the North Penn Chamber of Commerce.
Before joining Harleysville, Mitchell was executive vice president of National Grange Mutual Insurance Company, Keene, NH. Prior to that, he was employed for eight years as assistant general counsel and assistant vice president of American Mutual Liability Insurance Company, Wakefield, MA.
Beginning his career in the military, Mitchell entered the U.S. Army in 1952 with the direct commission of First Lieutenant Judge Advocate General's Corps. He resigned his commission in 1959, at which time he became an instructor in the law department at the United States Military Academy, West Point. He retired from the Army Reserves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1987.
A native of Maine, Mitchell attended the University of Maine and earned his law degree from Boston University School of Law. He was a member of the bar for the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Military Appeals. Mitchell is survived by his wife, Frances, and five children. He was a resident of Sergeantsville, NJ.