None.
There are no restrictions on the use of charter files of defunct insurance companies dated before 1927 and defunct fraternal beneficiary insurance societies dated from 1910 to 1936. Files of defunct mutual aid insurance companies from 1923 to 1957 and defunct insurance companies from 1927 to 1976 are in off-site storage. Retrieval usually takes half a day.
(Identify the item and cite the series), Charter files, Texas State Board of Insurance. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Among its duties, the Texas State Board of Insurance licenses all insurance companies, files their charters, and issues a certificate of authority to do business in the state. The Board of Insurance, or one of its predecessors, has kept the charters of insurance companies since 1876.
These records of the Texas State Board of Insurance consist of the charter files of insurance companies that had operated in Texas but have since gone out of business or had their certificates to do business suspended or revoked by the Board of Insurance. The records date from 1873 to 1976 (bulk 1920-1976).
An insurance company's charter file usually includes the articles of incorporation, constitution and by-laws, and amendments, and may contain many other types of records. Information contained in the charters varies somewhat but the articles of incorporation and the by-laws typically provide the following information: name of company, purpose, names and residences of all officers and trustees, principal place of business, frequency of board meetings, and the proposed number of years the company will be in business. Depending on the type of insurance company, sometimes the amount of capital and stock issued is also given. Records may also include applications for certificates of authority, minutes of special company meetings, bonds, financial examination reports, rate sheets of insurance benefits, blank membership application and policy forms, correspondence, internal memos of the Insurance Board, certificates from the Attorney General approving the articles of incorporation, dissolution orders from the Commissioner of Insurance, and receipts for filing fees. The types of records in a company's charter file varies somewhat depending on the time period. The earlier charter files, pre-1909, have fewer types of records and less quantity. The bulk of the records date after 1920.
To prepare this preliminary inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.
The charter files of defunct insurance companies are divided into six series based on chronology and on changes in the Board of Insurance. The earliest charters are split between 1873-1909 and 1909-1927. Charters for fraternal and benevolent insurance societies were filed separately between 1910 and 1936. Later, from 1927 to 1957, charters were divided between the Examinations Division and the Mutual Assessment Division. Beginning in 1958, all charters from defunct insurance companies were filed in one sequence, according to the year they went out of business. There are no charters marked as having gone out of business in 1971.
These records are organized into six series:
Paul B. Beck, February 1992
Accession number: 1991/071
These records were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas State Board of Insurance on January 21, 1991.
Prior to 1876, insurance companies registered with the Comptroller. In 1876, the Department of Insurance, Statistics and History was created and took over the filing and maintenance of insurance company charters. The name of the agency was changed to the Department of Agriculture, Insurance, Statistics, and History in 1887, changed again in 1907 to Department of Insurance, Statistics and History, and then to Department of Insurance and Banking in 1909.
This group contains charters from defunct insurance companies that were filed with the various state agencies that had responsibility for insurance affairs in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The types of records in the charter files remain the same despite the changes in agencies and include articles of incorporation, constitutions, by-laws, minutes of special meetings of insurance company board of directors, applications for licenses, financial examinations, and certificates from the Attorney General approving the articles of incorporation.
These records are arranged alphabetically by name of insurance company.
In 1909, S.B. 291, 31st Legislature, which authorized the incorporation of life, accident and health insurance companies, also required these companies to file articles of incorporation, by-laws, amendments, annual financial statements, and the names and residences of officers and directors with the Commissioner of Insurance and Banking. In 1923, a separate office of a Commissioner of Insurance was created. In 1927, the Commissioner of Insurance was consolidated with the Fire Insurance Commissioner to create the Board of Insurance Commissioners.
Types of records include articles of incorporation, constitutions and by-laws, and financial examination reports. Other types of records include applications for permits to sell stock before incorporation, certificates issued by the Attorney General approving an application to organize, correspondence, and filing fee certificates. This group of charters from defunct insurance companies was filed with the Commissioner of Insurance and Banking (1909-1923) and the Commissioner of Insurance (1923-1927).
These records are arranged alphabetically.
In 1909, H.B. 55, 31st Legislature, 1st Called Session, was passed to regulate insurance issued by fraternal beneficiary associations. It required that articles of association, constitutions and by-laws, copies of applications forms and other literature, and a bond be filed with the Commissioner of Insurance and Banking.
These files contain articles of association, constitutions and by-laws, copies of applications forms and other literature, a bond, and other records from fraternal insurance societies that eventually dissolved or otherwise went out of business. Other records include correspondence, approval certificates from the Attorney General for the articles of incorporation, financial examinations, and rate sheets of insurance benefits. The files date from 1910 to 1936. Eventually, the regulation of these societies was taken over by the Mutual Assessment Division of the Board of Insurance and the charters of the fraternal societies were no longer filed separately from other insurance companies.
These records are arranged alphabetically by name of fraternal society.
S.B. 213, 38th Legislature, passed in 1923, provided for the regulation of incorporated mutual insurance companies. These companies had no capital stock, had their relief funds created and sustained by assessments made upon its members, and filed reports with the Insurance Commissioner to show they were not operating for a profit to benefit their officers or directors. Between 1923 and 1957, the Mutual Assessment Division of the Board of Insurance enforced the acts relating to insurers who operated on the mutual assessment plan and filed their charters and other records.
Types of records include articles of incorporation and amendments, constitutions and by-laws, fidelity bonds, certificates of authority, minutes of special company meetings, blank policy forms, correspondence, and notices of company name changes.
Records are arranged into two groups. First are the charter files of local mutual aid societies that went out of business between 1929 and 1940. Local mutual aid societies operated in a limited geographic area. The files are in alphabetical order by name of company. The second group of defunct charter files include statewide mutual assessment companies, burial associations, and county mutual fire associations as well as additional local mutual aid societies. This group of charters is divided into three time periods based on when a company went out of business: 1927-1947, 1947-1955, and 1955-1957. Within each time period, the charter files are arranged alphabetically by company name.
Files of defunct mutual aid insurance companies from 1923 to 1957 are in off-site storage. Retrieval usually takes half a day.
In 1927, the 40th Legislature created the Board of Insurance Commissioners by consolidating the Insurance Department and the State Fire Insurance Commission. An Examinations Division, a part of the larger Life Insurance Division, was given supervision of insurance companies, charters, certificates of authority, and the solvency of persons and corporations engaged in the insurance business.
These records are the charter files of insurance companies which went out of business between 1927 and 1957, except for the files of mutual aid insurance associations which were filed separately. Records include articles of incorporation and amendments, by-laws, applications for certificates of authority, reinsurance agreements between companies, minutes of special company meetings, bonds, affidavits, certificates from the Attorney General approving the articles of incorporation, receipts for filing fees, and more internal memos and correspondence than in previous charter files.
Records are arranged in three time periods based on when a company went out of business: 1927-1947, 1947-1955, and 1955-1957. Within each time period, the charters are arranged alphabetically by company name.
Files of defunct insurance companies from 1927 to 1976 are in off-site storage. Retrieval usually takes half a day.
In 1957, the Board of Insurance Commissioners was abolished and the State Board of Insurance created. The Examination Division was given the responsibility for maintaining all necessary records on insurance company charters and certificates of authority.
These records are the charter files of all defunct insurance companies from 1958 to 1976 and include the cancelled charters and certificates of authority and many other types of records such as reinsurance agreements between companies, minutes of special company meetings, official orders from the Insurance Commissioner, memos to files from Insurance Board employees, Attorney General certificates, bonds, affidavits, and correspondence from stockholders about the company.
These records are arranged chronologically by year and within each year alphabetically by name of company.
Files of defunct insurance companies from 1927 to 1976 are in off-site storage. Retrieval usually takes half a day.