-A. Jack Nussbaum was typical of a host of proud, ambitious young men who came to America from other countries in the early 1890's. He was a native of Glasgow, Scotland who went to work in a clothing factory at age 12. Three years later he came to the United States and worked in a button factory for $4 a week. Within three years, he saved enough money to bring his mother and father to his adopted land.
Mr. Nussbaum served in the army during World War I and then entered the retail clothing business. Buffeted by the depression and early post-depression years, he fortuitously made a decision to enter the life insurance business with Massachusetts Mutual in Milwaukee.
During the ensuing years, Mr. Nussbaum became a Life and Qualifying Member of the Million Dollar Round Table and continuously achieved the National Quality Award. He was one of his company's top 100 producers for more than 30 years.
From the start of his life insurance selling career, A. Jack Nussbaum was a participant in his local and state life underwriters associations. He became president of each and then moved to distinction on the national scene, where he served NALU as committee chairman, trustee, secretary, vice-president and president.
Though lacking extensive formal education, Mr. Nussbaum was rated one of the "idea men" of U.S. life insurance. He was a faculty advisor at Purdue University's Institute of Insurance Marketing, contributed articles to numerous professional publications, and was in great demand as a speaker before sales groups throughout the country and Canada. As president of NALU, he devoted full-time to this responsibility so as to personally visit the greatest number of affiliated local and state associations.
In addition to being respected for his tremendous sales and leadership capacity, A. Jack Nussbaum was applauded everywhere he went as a raconteur par excellence in dialects ranging from Scot's burr to Alabama cotton patch! He was also a talented musician. The violin was his favorite.
Jack Nussbaum was a doer for all – without prejudice or thought of a personal gain. He was a gentle, warm man with infinite love for his family, associates and country. When he assumed the presidency of NALU in 1956, someone noted that he had tapered off on many of his civic and community undertakings in Milwaukee. Mr. Nussbaum replied: "Guess you're right. All I belong to now are the life underwriter association and the American Legion. They symbolize two things to me - life insurance and the United States. Both have been good to me… and I'm devoting myself to pay my debt and helping others feel the way I do."
