History

History of the Central Oklahoma Chapter

founded September 28, 1953

In 1953 the annual meeting of the Society of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters was held at the Hotel Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  On September 17, 1953 those receiving the prestigious CPCU designation included Oklahoma insurance professionals L.Z. Brown, Jr., Perry R. Jones, Ralph Neely, Floyd S. Pratt and Charles Scheffel.

Local CPCUs subsequently petitioned the Society for a chapter charter. The petitioners included Kenneth R. Draper, CPCU, Perry R. Jones, CPCU, Frank P. Kitchen III, CPCU, Ralph Neely, CPCU, R.Blinn McClelland, CPCU, Floyd S. Pratt, CPCU, and Charles Scheffel, CPCU. On September 28th, 1953 the Society of CPCU officially recognized the Central Oklahoma Chapter. Officers for 1953-1954 were Floyd S. Pratt, CPCU, President, R.Blinn McClelland, CPCU, Vice President, Ralph Neely, CPCU, Secretary, and Charles Scheffel, CPCU, Treasurer.

Dr. Edwin S. Overman, CPCU, President of the American Institute for Property and Liability Underwriters was the featured speaker for the Chapter’s 25th Anniversary celebration in 1978, a joint meeting with the Northeast Oklahoma Chapter, held October 5th in the Oklahoma Memorial Union at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, with dinner at the OU Faculty Club Chapter membership by 1978 had grown to 60 members.