Joseph M. Bryan
| Joseph M. Bryan | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
February 11, 1896 Elyria, Ohio |
| Died | April 26, 1995 (aged 99) Greensboro, North Carolina |
| Occupation | Insurance Executive |
| Spouse(s) | Kathleen M. Price (1927-1984) |
Joseph McKinley Bryan (February 11, 1896 – April 26, 1995) was an American insurance executive, broadcast pioneer, and philanthropist.
Born in Elyria, Ohio, Bryan was the second son of Bart Bryan and Caroline Ebert Bryan. After serving overseas in World War I, he returned to New York City to take a job with a cotton firm. In 1923 he became the youngest member of the New York Cotton Exchange. Bryan married Kathleen M. Price of Greensboro, North Carolina, on November 19. 1927. In 1931, the couple moved to Greensboro, where Bryan accepted a job offer from Julian Price, his wife's father and founder of the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company.
Bryan joined the staff of the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company and moved up through the ranks. In 1934 he became the president of a subsidiary company which purchased WBIG, then Greensboro's only radio station, and saved it from being taken off the air. The company expanded its broadcasting division in 1945 with it purchased WBT in Charlotte. Four years later, WBTV became the first television station to air in North and South Carolina.
Bryan went on to serve in various capacities with several large corporations. In addition to being senior vice president of Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company and chairman of the board of Pilot Life Insurance Company, he served as a member of the board of the parent corporation, Jefferson-Pilot, until 1993 when he was made honorary and lifetime member of the board. Bryan also served on the boards of NCNB, Atlantic and Yadkin Railroad, and several personal companies. He was one of the original six members of the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame.
Kathleen died in 1984 after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Frustrated by the lack of knowledge on the disease in the medical community, Bryan backed an experimental procedure at Duke University involving rapid autopsies of victims of Alzheimer's. The initial success of the program prompted him to donate ten million dollars for Alzheimer's research, putting Duke University Medical Center at the forefront of the battle against the disease.
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