Ernest L. Hogan

Ernest L. Hogan (April 10, 1913 - March 8, 1999) began his 43-year career in the insurance business as an agent for Peoples Life Insurance Company in Beckley, West Virginia, and retired as president, chairman and CEO in Washington, D.C.

He was the first agent to make such a climb and is considered a giant in the life insurance field. He received many awards and honors, including an 1995 honorary Doctor of Law degree from West Virginia University.

He lacked a formal education, but helped others obtain theirs. He was a major contributor to WVU, founding the Ernest L. and Mildred S. Hogan Scholarship for West Virginia high school graduates and establishing an endowed chair of insurance and risk management at the College of Business and Economics. He was also a major contributor to higher education in West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina.

Born in Davy, West Virginia, he never forgot his roots nor wavered in his affection for the state.