Western Insurance Company is placed in the history books at KU

Memories of the Western Insurance have been preserved thanks to the son and daughter of Clifton Crain Otto.

The Clifton Crain Otto Collection of Western Insurance Companies was gifted to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas by Otto's son David Otto of Fort Mill, S.C. and daughter Marie Kliewer of Omaha, Neb.

The collection consists of career papers of Clifton Crain Otto contain records of the Western Insurance Companies of Fort Scott. Included are histories of the Western Insurance Companies, as well as annual reports, company publications, event programs, news and journal articles regarding the Western and Otto, photographs, and other memorabilia bearing the Western Insurance Companies' name and logo.

The items come mainly from Otto's time in leadership with the Western Insurance Companies, but also include a 1921 signed original letter from the founder, Oscar Rice.

Also included are records of honors received by Otto post-retirement, as well as his 1997 obituary.

Clifton Crain Otto was born March 1, 1911 in Bates County, Mo. and moved to Fort Scott in 1917. Otto went to work for the Western Insurance Companies in 1928. Following a series of promotions Otto became President of the Western Insurance Companies in 1955. In Otto's 14 years as president, the Western quadrupled in size, growing from a small company to one of the nation's premier casualty insurance carriers. In 1969, Otto was elected Vice Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee Chairman, serving on the board until his retirement in 1976. Otto authored a history the Western titled The Western Story, which was published in 1976. In 1986, Otto was honored again being named to the Kansas Insurance Education Foundation's Hall of Fame. Otto died in Fort Scott on June 6, 1997.

To access an inventory of the collection online visit spencer.lib.ku.edu, then click Search The Library's Holdings to perform a search. Next click New Search Manuscript and Archival Collections Finding Aids, in the Search Finding Aids box type "Western Insurance Companies" with the quotation marks included.