100 YEARS OF KAIA
THERE ’ S NO ART WHERE THERE ’ S NO FEE
In celebration of the Kansas Association of Insurance Agents ’ 100 years , you will be able to read historic pieces from magazines , pamphlets , brochures as found in the KAIA archives . Take a walk down memory lane or discover something new from past founders , presidents , directors , and even members whose names you could recognize today ! Here is the history of the Fee ’ s involvement in honor of Bob Fee becoming the Big “ I ” National Chairman . Learn more about KAIA ’ s history at kaia . com / 100years .
The Fee Insurance Agency , Inc . started in 1883 when J . N . Bailey & Son established one of the first businesses in the newly developed community of Hutchinson . The town had been founded only 11 years earlier by C . C . Hutchinson . Cloyed Bailey , the son of J . N . Bailey , kept the agency going for many years , but in 1954 , in failing health , Bailey sold the agency to Seymore-Welchons Agency . Ed Seymore died soon after that . Dan Welchons decided to sell the Seymore- Welchons Agency to the Frank Fee Agency in 1956 .
After graduation from the University of Kansas in 1953 , Franklin T Fee joined his father , Frank T Fee , in the real estate business . Shortly after that , Frank expanded into the insurance agency business . He purchased Brown Brothers Realty in 1952 , the Ed Moore Agency and D . A . Moore Agency in 1953 , and the Ed Fraley Agency in 1954 . In October of 1956 , after graduation from KU and a two-year stint in the US Navy , James W . Fee returned to Hutchinson and joined his brother , Franklin , in the insurance business .
In 1957 , they purchased the Fontron Insurance Agency and formed the Fontron-Fee Agency . Byron Astle and Arthur Lewis remained with the agency until their deaths . They contributed significantly to the continuity and success of the agency .
In June of 1960 , the Fontron-Fee Agency built a new office building at the corner of 30 West Sherman . Franklin Fee and James Fee were the owners and operators of the agency ; however , their father , Frank Fee , owner of Frank Fee Real Estate since 1945 , ran his business until his death in January of 1977 . Frank Fee Sr . never dealt directly with the insurance agency . He was quite instrumental in helping make purchases of other agencies and financing the new office building .
The Fontron-Fee Agency continued to grow , particularly through the purchases of other agencies . In January of 1969 , Fronton-Fee bought the Charles E . Long General Agency , Inc . The agency incorporated and became known as the Fronton- Fee Agency , Inc . Each partner owned 50 percent of the stock in the new corporation .
In January of 1976 , Franklin T . Fee sold his 50 percent interest of the Fontron-Fee Agency , Inc ., to his younger brother James W . Fee . In September of 1976 , Jim purchased the Earl Kirk Agency . In August 1981 , Jim Fee expanded the Fontron-Fee Agency , Inc . once more with the purchase of the Charles E . Kimbell Agency .
In May of 1983 , the 100th anniversary of the agency , the Fontron-Fee Inc ., changed its name to Fee Insurance Agency , Inc . James W . Fee was the sole owner . The office remained at 30 West Sherman as the agency continued to grow . Allen K . Fee , son of James W . Fee , became associated with the agency during his summer breaks from the University of Kansas in 1982 and 1983 . In May 1984 , upon graduating from university , Allen became a full-time associate with a portion of ownership .
The agency , in a growth period , bought the John
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