Founder of American Financial Lindner Dies
October 24, 2011 by Sean Carr
| Copyright: | (c) 2011 A.M. Best Company, Inc. |
| Source: | A.M. Best Company, Inc. |
| Wordcount: | 416 |
Carl H. Lindner Jr., the founder and chairman of American Financial Group, died Oct. 17. He was 92.
Lindner, who had remained at the helm of the insurer until his death, founded the company in 1959. His diverse business interests also included Chiquita Brands International, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Cincinnati Reds, the Provident Bank and Hanna-Barbera Productions, at various points throughout his career. He was equally known as a philanthropist, particularly to the benefit of his hometown.
“We all felt his impact on pretty much a daily basis,” said Ellen van der Horst, president and chief executive officer of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce. “He is single-handedly responsible for bringing in thousands and thousands and thousands of jobs.”
American Financial Group is a holding company primarily focusing on property/casualty insurance, particularly specialized commercial products for businesses, as well as annuities. Its subsidiaries include Great American Insurance Cos., the American Empire Surplus Lines Pool, the Mid-Continent Group and National Interstate Group, according to BestLink, an A.M. Best Co. database of online insurance information.
Lindner was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1911 and the family moved to Cincinnati in 1930, according to a statement from American Financial. He dropped out of school at the age of 15, working various jobs and attending classes at night before launching his entrepreneurial career by transforming a milk delivery business into what is today United Dairy Farmers.
Lindner’s son Carl H. Lindner III, is chairman and CEO of the Great American Property and Casualty Group and Great American Insurance Co. He resigned as president of those companies in 2010 after 23 years (Best’s News Service, June 11, 2010).
A supporter of Democrats and Republicans over the years, Lindner closely allied himself with conservative and Republican causes, locally and nationally, according to the company statement. He was a founding trustee of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 2011, the University of Cincinnati named its school of business the Carl H. Lindner College of Business. In 1994, Xavier University awarded Lindner the honorary degree Doctor of Humanities. In 1994, the city of Cincinnati recognized Lindner as a Great Living Cincinnatian. Lindner was named a “Beacon of Light Humanitarian” by the Cincinnati-based Lighthouse Youth Services.
Lindner is survived by his wife Edyth (nee Bailey), his sons Carl III (Martha); Craig (Frances), president of American Annuity Group and senior executive vice president of American Money Management; and Keith (Courtney); 12 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
(By Sean P. Carr, Washington Bureau Manager: sean.carr@ambest.com)
