FRANCIS BRITTON McCONNELL, second of the children born to Will and Madge Drew McConnell, was born on April 6, 1895, in New Orleans and attended school there until the family's move to Los Angeles when he entered Manual Arts High School. In 1913, after Mother's death, Britton decided to go to San Francisco where he later obtained a position with the California State Compensation Insurance Fund, travelling throughout the state. When World War I broke out he was drafted into the U.S. Army (after vain attempts to enlist in the Navy but turned down as being underweight), and sent to France.
At the battle of the Argonne Forest he was critically wounded by shrapnel through the hip and later, when the Field Hospital to which he had been carried was bombed, badly burned with mustard gas.
(In Brit's study hangs a very impressive plaque bearing the inscription: "Columbia gives to her Son the Accolade of the New Chivalry of Humanity: Francis Britton McConnell, Private First Class, 361st Infantry Machine Gun Division, served with Honor in the World War and was Wounded in Action.")
After many months in Army Hospitals in France he was returned to the U.S. as a stretcher case and eventually sent to Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco. Here he decided to take up the study of law, and on his release was admitted to Hastings College of Law in that city as part-time student, working half the day in his former office with the State Compensation Insurance Fund. On graduation from Hastings in 1924, Brit moved to Los Angeles to open his own offices and take over what was left of Father's insurance business.
On April 2, 1925, Brit married Vevay Matthewson, formerly of Salt Lake City and San Francisco. Vee worked with him in many of the details of his practice, she being an expert stenographer and accountant. Their two sons, Britton Drew and Malcolm Leckie, were both born at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles.
Brit practiced alone, usually with one or two lawyers as employees, and served as attorney for several insurance companies, and General Counsel and a Director of a Life Insurance Company. In 1940 he left general practice to become General Counsel-Vice President of Pacific Employers Insurance Company and of its several wholly-owned subsidiaries as well as its separate underwriting manager. He continued with his position in the home-office building and as attorney for several other clients whose affairs involved no conflict of interest.
As a resident of Beverly Hills, Brit became a member of the City Council, serving for a total of five years during two of which he was Beverly Hills' Mayor. In 1954 Brit resigned from the insurance company affiliation, disposed of all insurance stocks, and terminated his private practice to accept appointment as Insurance Commissioner of the State of California from his old schoolmate, Republican Governor Goodwin J. Knight. He was reappointed for another four-year term by Democrat Governor Edmund G. Brown - the only officer since 1950 who served more than one four-year term. In 1963 Brit returned to private practice with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They had sold their Beverly Hills home after the boys were married and moved to the Park LaBrea apartments in Los Angeles.
At the battle of the Argonne Forest he was critically wounded by shrapnel through the hip and later, when the Field Hospital to which he had been carried was bombed, badly burned with mustard gas.
(In Brit's study hangs a very impressive plaque bearing the inscription: "Columbia gives to her Son the Accolade of the New Chivalry of Humanity: Francis Britton McConnell, Private First Class, 361st Infantry Machine Gun Division, served with Honor in the World War and was Wounded in Action.")
After many months in Army Hospitals in France he was returned to the U.S. as a stretcher case and eventually sent to Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco. Here he decided to take up the study of law, and on his release was admitted to Hastings College of Law in that city as part-time student, working half the day in his former office with the State Compensation Insurance Fund. On graduation from Hastings in 1924, Brit moved to Los Angeles to open his own offices and take over what was left of Father's insurance business.
On April 2, 1925, Brit married Vevay Matthewson, formerly of Salt Lake City and San Francisco. Vee worked with him in many of the details of his practice, she being an expert stenographer and accountant. Their two sons, Britton Drew and Malcolm Leckie, were both born at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles.
Brit practiced alone, usually with one or two lawyers as employees, and served as attorney for several insurance companies, and General Counsel and a Director of a Life Insurance Company. In 1940 he left general practice to become General Counsel-Vice President of Pacific Employers Insurance Company and of its several wholly-owned subsidiaries as well as its separate underwriting manager. He continued with his position in the home-office building and as attorney for several other clients whose affairs involved no conflict of interest.
As a resident of Beverly Hills, Brit became a member of the City Council, serving for a total of five years during two of which he was Beverly Hills' Mayor. In 1954 Brit resigned from the insurance company affiliation, disposed of all insurance stocks, and terminated his private practice to accept appointment as Insurance Commissioner of the State of California from his old schoolmate, Republican Governor Goodwin J. Knight. He was reappointed for another four-year term by Democrat Governor Edmund G. Brown - the only officer since 1950 who served more than one four-year term. In 1963 Brit returned to private practice with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They had sold their Beverly Hills home after the boys were married and moved to the Park LaBrea apartments in Los Angeles.
FRANCIS BRITTON McCONNELL, second of the children born to Will and Madge Drew McConnell, was born on April 6, 1895, in New Orleans and attended school there until the family's move to Los Angeles when he entered Manual Arts High School. In 1913, after Mother's death, Britton decided to go to San Francisco where he later obtained a position with the California State Compensation Insurance Fund, travelling throughout the state. When World War I broke out he was drafted into the U.S. Army (after vain attempts to enlist in the Navy but turned down as being underweight), and sent to France.
At the battle of the Argonne Forest he was critically wounded by shrapnel through the hip and later, when the Field Hospital to which he had been carried was bombed, badly burned with mustard gas.
(In Brit's study hangs a very impressive plaque bearing the inscription: "Columbia gives to her Son the Accolade of the New Chivalry of Humanity: Francis Britton McConnell, Private First Class, 361st Infantry Machine Gun Division, served with Honor in the World War and was Wounded in Action.")
After many months in Army Hospitals in France he was returned to the U.S. as a stretcher case and eventually sent to Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco. Here he decided to take up the study of law, and on his release was admitted to Hastings College of Law in that city as part-time student, working half the day in his former office with the State Compensation Insurance Fund. On graduation from Hastings in 1924, Brit moved to Los Angeles to open his own offices and take over what was left of Father's insurance business.
On April 2, 1925, Brit married Vevay Matthewson, formerly of Salt Lake City and San Francisco. Vee worked with him in many of the details of his practice, she being an expert stenographer and accountant. Their two sons, Britton Drew and Malcolm Leckie, were both born at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles.
Brit practiced alone, usually with one or two lawyers as employees, and served as attorney for several insurance companies, and General Counsel and a Director of a Life Insurance Company. In 1940 he left general practice to become General Counsel-Vice President of Pacific Employers Insurance Company and of its several wholly-owned subsidiaries as well as its separate underwriting manager. He continued with his position in the home-office building and as attorney for several other clients whose affairs involved no conflict of interest.
As a resident of Beverly Hills, Brit became a member of the City Council, serving for a total of five years during two of which he was Beverly Hills' Mayor. In 1954 Brit resigned from the insurance company affiliation, disposed of all insurance stocks, and terminated his private practice to accept appointment as Insurance Commissioner of the State of California from his old schoolmate, Republican Governor Goodwin J. Knight. He was reappointed for another four-year term by Democrat Governor Edmund G. Brown - the only officer since 1950 who served more than one four-year term. In 1963 Brit returned to private practice with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They had sold their Beverly Hills home after the boys were married and moved to the Park LaBrea apartments in Los Angeles.
At the battle of the Argonne Forest he was critically wounded by shrapnel through the hip and later, when the Field Hospital to which he had been carried was bombed, badly burned with mustard gas.
(In Brit's study hangs a very impressive plaque bearing the inscription: "Columbia gives to her Son the Accolade of the New Chivalry of Humanity: Francis Britton McConnell, Private First Class, 361st Infantry Machine Gun Division, served with Honor in the World War and was Wounded in Action.")
After many months in Army Hospitals in France he was returned to the U.S. as a stretcher case and eventually sent to Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco. Here he decided to take up the study of law, and on his release was admitted to Hastings College of Law in that city as part-time student, working half the day in his former office with the State Compensation Insurance Fund. On graduation from Hastings in 1924, Brit moved to Los Angeles to open his own offices and take over what was left of Father's insurance business.
On April 2, 1925, Brit married Vevay Matthewson, formerly of Salt Lake City and San Francisco. Vee worked with him in many of the details of his practice, she being an expert stenographer and accountant. Their two sons, Britton Drew and Malcolm Leckie, were both born at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles.
Brit practiced alone, usually with one or two lawyers as employees, and served as attorney for several insurance companies, and General Counsel and a Director of a Life Insurance Company. In 1940 he left general practice to become General Counsel-Vice President of Pacific Employers Insurance Company and of its several wholly-owned subsidiaries as well as its separate underwriting manager. He continued with his position in the home-office building and as attorney for several other clients whose affairs involved no conflict of interest.
As a resident of Beverly Hills, Brit became a member of the City Council, serving for a total of five years during two of which he was Beverly Hills' Mayor. In 1954 Brit resigned from the insurance company affiliation, disposed of all insurance stocks, and terminated his private practice to accept appointment as Insurance Commissioner of the State of California from his old schoolmate, Republican Governor Goodwin J. Knight. He was reappointed for another four-year term by Democrat Governor Edmund G. Brown - the only officer since 1950 who served more than one four-year term. In 1963 Brit returned to private practice with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They had sold their Beverly Hills home after the boys were married and moved to the Park LaBrea apartments in Los Angeles.
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