History of Farmers
Although many companies have grown from small beginnings to become giants in their industries, Farmers is one of the very few to start in business only one year before the greatest economic depression in American history and still survive to become a household name. Innovative business thinking and our commitment to doing what’s right for the communities we’re privileged to serve have been a hallmark of Farmers since 1928, and have propelled us from a tiny one-room office in downtown Los Angeles to offices and homes all across America.
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Farmers Founders
John C. Tyler and Thomas E. Leavey knew from personal experience that farmers and
ranchers experienced fewer risks with their vehicles and were entitled to preferred rates.
Tyler and Leavey put up their own money and went farm to farm to gain their first policies.
By 1928, they were ready to open for business out of a one-room office in downtown Los Angeles.
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John C. “Jack” Tyler was born in a sod hut on the banks of the James River in South Dakota.
His father was a farmer-turned-insurance-salesman. Once successful as a paint contractor after completing his service in WWI, Tyler partnered with Thomas Leavey to create the Farmers Automobile Inter-Insurance Exchange.
Upon his death, at his bequest his widow established The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.
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Thomas E. Leavey came from a dairy farm in Humboldt County, California.
Leavey shared his own funds with universities, 4H clubs and hospitals—many of which now bear the Leavey name.
The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation, which he co-founded with his wife, has given more than
$100 million to support educational, medical, and religious institutions.
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