Theodore Magley, Former Chairman of State Auto Insurance Cos., Dead at 81

Copyright 2009 A.M. Best Company, Inc.All Rights Reserved <span id="x_hitDiv1"> BestWire <br> <br> <span id="x_hitDiv2">June 25, 2009 Thursday 04:59 PM EST <br> <br> 220 words <br> <br> <br> Theodore Magley, Former Chairman of State Auto Insurance Cos., Dead at 81<br> <br> Alyn Ackermann <br> <br> COLUMBUS, Ohio <br> <br> <p></p> Theodore R. Magley, former chairman of State Auto Insurance Cos., died at home on June 22 after a brief battle with cancer, the company said. <p></p> Magley, who was 81, worked at State Auto for nearly 45 years before retiring in 1993, the company said in a statement. <p></p> In 1949, after receiving a degree from Ohio State University, Magley joined State Auto as an underwriter. Over the next five decades, he would play a key role in State Auto's growth from premiums of $14.5 million to nearly $450 million. <p></p> He served for several years as Ohio automobile underwriting manager, and later director of product research and development. In 1968, he was elected assistant vice president, advancing to vice president in 1972. In 1975, he joined the State Auto board of directors and was named director of underwriting. In 1983, he was named vice chairman of the board, then chairman in 1989. <p></p> "Ted was an extraordinary student of our business whose leadership combined a gentle nature and unshakeable integrity with an astute technical mastery of the underwriting science," State Auto Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Restrepo said in the statement. <p></p> State Auto Insurance Cos. currently has a Best's Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior). <p></p> (By Alyn Ackermann, senior associate editor, BestWeek: <a href="mailto:Alyn.Ackermann@ambest.com"> Alyn.Ackermann@ambest.com</a>) <br> <br> June 26, 2009 <br> <br> <div> <div class="x_nshr"> <center></center> <center><a href="http://www.lexis-nexis.com/lncc/about/copyrt.html" target="_new" class="x_pagelinks">Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved. </a><br> <a href="http://www.lexis-nexis.com/terms/general" target="_new" class="x_pagelinks">Terms and Conditions</a> <a href="http://www.lexis-nexis.com/terms/privacy" target="_new" class="x_pagelinks"> Privacy Policy</a> <br> </center> </div> </div> </span></span>