
Awards & Recognition.
Celebrating Big “I” Members.

Woodworth Memorial Award Winner.
Since 1925, the Big “I” has celebrated individuals for their dedication to the insurance industry.
The Woodworth Memorial Award is the highest honor an agent can receive from the national Big “I.” All recipients share one trait—an uncommon dedication to the industry and to the association.
L. Scott Stanford
2025 Woodworth Award Winner
Yates Lifetime Achievement Award.
Recognizes exemplary dedication to the independent agency system.
Frank Sheppard
2025 Yates Lifetime Winner
There are many people beyond the agent community who contribute to the vitality and strength of the independent agency system. The Jeff Yates Lifetime Achievement Award, named in honor of former Big “I” CEO Jeff Yates, is designed to recognize individuals who have made a lasting impact. It is the highest recognition in the nation a non-agent can receive for a lifetime of work in the independent agency system.

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1925 A.B. White, Jr., Parkersburg, WV
1926 T.C. Moffatt, Newark, NJ
1928 George Markham, St. Louis, MO
1929 Earl E. Fisk, Green Bay, WI
1930 Percy H. Goodwin, San Diego, CA
1931 Clyde B. Smith, Lansing, MI
1933 H.E. HcKelvey, Pittsburgh, PA
1934 W.E. Harrington, Atlanta, GA
1935 Hamilton C. Arnall, Newman, GA
1936 Allan I. Wolff, Chicago, IL
1937 W. Herbert Steward, Chicago, IL
1939 W. Owen Wilson, Richmond, VA
1940 L. P. McCord, Jacksonville, FL
1941 Roy A. Duffus, Rochester, NY
1942 Sidney O. Smith, Gainesville, GA
1943 Wade Fetzer, Jr., Chicago, IL
1945 H.H. Hendren, Sacramento, CA
1946 Harold N. Mann, Tacoma, WA
1948 West Shell, Cincinnati, OH
1950 John C. Stott, Norwich, NY
1951 John J. O’Toole, St. Louis, MO
1952 Carleton I. Fisher, Providence, RI
1953 Harry T. Minister, Columbus, OH
1954 Walter M. Sheldon, Chicago, IL
1956 Robert Maxwell, Texarkana, AR
1957 Joseph A. Newmann, Jamaica, NY
1958 Morton V.V. White, Allentown, PA
1959 Robert E. Battles, Los Angeles, CA
1960 Archie M. Slawsby, Nashua, NH
1962 Ralph D. Callister, Salt Lake City, UT
1963 Porter Ellis, CPCU, Dallas, TX
1964 Hayne P. Glover, Jr., Greenville, SC
1965 Fred H. Johnson, Columbus, OH
1966 H.H. Nelson, CLU, LLB, Council Bluffs, IA
1967 William E. Webb, Jr., CPCU Statesville, NC
1968 Stafford H. Warner, Memphis, TN
1969 Danforth Loring, Omaha, NE
1970 Charles B. Chrisman, Pikeville, KY
1971 Harold Eustis, Greenville, MS
1972 Lyle Huggins, Long Beach, CA
1975 Robert L. Shade, Decatur, IL
1976 Bernard J. Burns, Milford, CT
1977 Gerard R. TeBockhorst, CPCU, Denver, CO
1978 Frederick J. England, Jr., CPCU, Cambridge, MA
1979 Edward J. Kremer, AAI, ARM Salisbury, MD
1980 George T. Frazier, Hope, AR
1981 Josiah H. Welch, Newburyport, MA
1982 Robert T. Clayton, CPCU, Milwaukee, WI
1984 Robert R. Treweek, CPCU, Gainesville, FL
1985 Thomas E. Lane, Rapid City, SD
1986 William E. Brady, CPCU, San Pedro, CA
1987 Jack Payan, CPCU, Palos Heights, IL
1988 Richard D. Teubner, CPCU, Tulsa, OK
1989 Lou W. Daniel, Baton Rouge, LA
1990 Marvin A. Kristan, Los Angeles, CA
1991 Richard G. Taylor, CPCU, Salt Lake City, UT
1992 Louie E. Woodbury, Wilmington, NC
1993 A. William Bailey, Jr., CIC, Waco, TX
1994 R.C. Riley, CPCU, AAI, Benton, KY
1995 Eric G. Gustafson, CPCU, AAI, Portsmouth, NH
1996 Joseph H. Feitelberg, CLU, Fall River, MA
1999 Ronald A. Smith, CPCU, Rochester, IN
2000 C. Courtney Wood, CPCU, ARM, Edmond, OK
2001 Richard W. Davis, CPCU, Needham, MA
2002 William B. Greenwood, Central City, KY
2004 Thomas “Tommy” J. Dietz, CPCU, Bedford Hills, NY
2005 Michael R. Donohoe, Mankato, MN
2006 David “Bud” F. Wilson, Bonita, CA
2007 Matt Berry, Sr., Austin, TX
2008 Thomas B. Ahart, CPCU, AAI, Phillipsburg, NJ
2009 Alex Soto, CPCU, ARM, Miami, FL
2010 Ronald P. Tubertini, CIC, Ridgeland, MS
2011 William F. Hofmann, III, CPCU, CLU, AAI, CIC, LIA, Belmont, MA
2012 Robert E. Fulwider, West Liberty, IA
2013 J. David Daniel, Baton Rouge, LA
2014 W. Cloyce Anders, Raleigh, NC
2015 James T. Armitage, CPCU, AAI, WCIP, Arcadia, CA
2016 Thomas J. Minkler, CIC, CPRM, Keene, NH
2017 Charles “Cappy” S. Stults, III, Hightstown, NJ
2018 C. Brett Nilsson, CIC, Layton, UT
2019 David A. Walker, AAI, CIC, LIC, ARM, CRM, CAWC, Hartland, MI
2020 William “Bill” E. Harrison Jr., San Antonio, TX
2021 Randy Lanoix, CIC, Donaldsonville, LA
2022 Spencer M. Houldin, Washington Depot, CT
2023 Jon A. Jensen, AAI, AIP, Spartanburg, SC
2024 Louise “BeBe” C. Canter, CPCU, ARM, Bethesda, MD
2025 L. Scott Stanford, AAI, Tinton Falls, NJ
2013 Jeffrey M. Yates, Bozeman, MT
2015 Richard A. Poppa, CAE (ret.), AAI, Fishers, IN
2016 William Wilson, CPCU, ARM, AIM, AAM, Gallatin, TN
2019 F.W. Purmort, Van Wert, OH
2020 Gregory E. Murphy, Sparta, NJ
2021 Dave Evans, CFP, Stamford, CT
2022 Madelyn Flannagan, Springfield, VA
2023 Bob Rusbuldt, Burke, VA
2025 Frank Sheppard, Columbia, SC
1896–97 A.G. Simrall, Covington, KY
1898–99 C.H. Woodworth, Buffalo, NY
1900–01 George D. Markham, St. Louis, MO
1902 Thomas H. Geer, Cleveland, OH
1903 John C. North, New Haven, CT
1904 A.H. Robinson, Louisville, KY
1905 E.J. Tapping, Milwaukee, WI
1906 Charles F. Wilson, Denver, CO
1907 F.W. Offenhauser, Texarkana, TX
1908 E.W. Beardsley, Hartford, CT
1909 Fred Guenther, Detroit, MI
1910 A.W. Neale, Cleveland, OH
1911–12 J.H. Southgate, Durham, NC
1913–14 C.F. Hildreth, Freeport, IL
1915–16 E.C. Roth, Buffalo, NY
1917–18 E.M. Allen, Helena, AR
1919–20 Fred J. Cox, Perth Amboy, NY
1921–22 James J. Case, Norwich, CT
1923 Frank R. Bell, Sr., Charleston, WV
1924 Thomas C. Moffatt, Newark, NJ
1925 Cliff C. Jones, Kansas City, MO
1926 Frank L. Gardner, Poughkeepsie, NY
1927 W. Eugene Harrington, Atlanta, GA
1928 R.P. DeVan, Charleston, WV
1929 Clyde B. Smith, Lansing, MI
1930 Percy H. Goodwin, San Diego, CA
1931 William B. Calhoun, Milwaukee, WI
1932 Charles L. Gandy, Birmingham, AL
1933 Allan I. Wolff, Chicago, IL
1934 Edwin J. Cole, Fall River, MA
1935 Kenneth H. Bair, Greensburg, PA
1936 W. Owen Wilson, Richmond, VA
1937 Charles F. Liscomb, Duluth, MN
1938 William H. Menn, Los Angeles, CA
1939 Sidney O. Smith, Gainesville, GA
1940 Payne H. Midyette, Tallahassee, FL
1941 R.W. Forshay, Anita, IA
1942 David A. North, New Haven, CT
1943 Fred A. Moreton, Salt Lake City, UT
1944 W. Ray Thomas, Pittsburgh, PA
1945 Hunter Brown, Pensacola, FL
1946 Guy T. Warfield, Baltimore, MD
1947 William P. Welsh, Pasadena, CA
1948 John C. Stott, Norwich, NY
1949 O. Shaw Johnson, Sr., Clarksdale, MS
1950 Melvin J. Miller, Fort Worth, TX
1951 J.F. Van Vechten, Akron, OH
1952 Walter M. Sheldon, Chicago, IL
1953 E.J. Seymour, Monroe, LA
1954 Joseph A. Neumann, Jamaica, NY
1955 Kenneth Ross, Arkansas City, KS
1956 Robert E. Battles, Los Angeles, CA
1957 Louie E. Woodbury, Jr., Wilmington, NC
1958 Archie M. Slawsby, Nashua, NH
1959 Paul H. Jones, CPCU, Tucson, AZ
1960 Porter Ellis, CPCU, Dallas, TX
1961 Cooper M. Cubbedge, Jacksonville, FL
1962 Hayne P. Glover, Jr., Greenville, SC
1963 Fred H. Johnson, Columbus, OH
1964 H.H. Nelson, CLU, Council Bluffs, IA
1965 William. E. Webb, Jr., CPCU, Statesville, NC
1966 Arthur F. Blum, CAE, New York, NY
1967 Danforth Loring, Omaha, NE
1968 Charles B. Chrisman, Pikesville, KY
1969 Lyle Huggins, Long Beach, CA
1970 Howard H. Leighton, Lowell, MA
1971 Harry C. Parrish, Paris, IL
1972 Alem L. LaBar, Billings, MT
1973 Bernard J. Burns, Milford, CT
1974 Gerard R. TeBockhorst, CPCU, Denver, CO
1975 M. Jay Wanamaker, CPCU, Topeka, KS
1976 Robert T. Clayton, CPCU, Milwaukee, WI
1977 George T. Frazier, Hope, AR
1978 Lee R. Meyer, CPCU, Meridian, MS
1979 Donald C. Brain, CPCU, Kansas City, MO
1980 Robert Reynolds, CPCU, ARM, Pittsburgh, PA
1981 Robert R. Treweek, CPCU, Tallahassee, FL
1982 Jack Payan, CPCU, Palos Heights, IL
1983 Richard D. Teubner, CPCU, Tulsa, OK
1984 Frederick J. England, Jr., CPCU, Cambridge, MA
1985 Richard G. Taylor, CPCU, Salt Lake City, UT
1986 Dwight L. Dillon, Bassett, VA
1987 Thomas J. Baker, Jr., CIC, Houston, TX
1988 Lawrence E. Hite, AAI, Ona, WV
1989 Southgate Jones, Jr., Durham, NC
1990 A. William Bailey, Jr., CIC, Waco, TX
1991 R.C. Riley, CPCU, AAI, Benton, KY
1992 Eric G. Gustafson, CPCU, AAI, Portsmouth, NH
1993 C. Courtney Wood, CPCU, ARM, Edmond, OK
1994 Harlan Miller, Long Beach, CA
1995 George R. Shaffer, Albuquerque, NM
1996 Ronald A. Smith, CPCU, Rochester, IN
1997 David “Bud” F. Wilson, Chula Vista, CA
1998 William B. Greenwood, Central City, KY
1999 William M. Houston, CPCU, ARM, Denver, CO
2000 William F. Hofmann, III, CPCU, CLU, AAI, CIC, LIA, Belmont, MA
2001 Thomas B. Ahart, CPCU, AAI, Phillipsburg, NJ
2002 W. Cloyce Anders, Raleigh, NC
2003 Louise C. Canter, CPCU, ARM, Washington, DC
2004 Thomas A. Grau, CPCU, Great Falls, MT
2005 William G. Stiglitz, III, Louisville, KY
2006 Alex Soto, CPCU, ARM, Miami, FL
2007 Robert E. Fulwider, West Liberty, IA
2008 C. Brett Nilsson, CIC, Ogden, UT
2009 J. David Daniel, Baton Rouge, LA
2010 J. Michael Miley, Plymouth, IN
2011 Michael R. Donohoe, Mankato, MN
2012 Robert Bramlett, Ardmore, OK
2013 Thomas J. Minkler, CIC, Keene, NH
2014 David Walker, AAI, CIC, LIC, ARM, CRM, CAWC, Hartland, MI
2015 Randy Lanoix, CIC, Port Allen, LA
2016 Spencer Houldin, Washington Depot, CT
2017 Vaughn Graham, CIC, CPCU, AFSB, Tulsa, OK
2018 Joseph P. Leahy, Springfield, MA
2019-20 Jon A. Jensen, AAI, AIP, Spartanburg, SC
2021 Robert Fee, AAI, CPCU, Hutchinson, KS
2022 John R. Costello, CIC, CRIS, Rochester, NY
2023 W. Michael McBride, Troy, MI