[34] Knoxville Insurance Giant Earns Posthumous Hall of Fame Honor

Aug. 9, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

Knoxville insurance giant earns posthumous hall of fame honor
MURFREESBORO—The late J. William Felton III, owner of the Tennessee Brokerage Agency in Knoxville, was recently inducted into the Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Hall of Fame, established in 1997, now comprises 48 honorees, including Felton and three other insurance professionals who were recognized during the ceremony at the Doubletree Hotel in Murfreesboro.
Felton, who passed away in June of this year, lived in Knoxville most of his 78 years. After graduating from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, he entered the U.S. Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Transportation Corps. He spent 30 years in the Army Reserves and retired with the rank of colonel.
Starting with the John Hancock Life Insurance Company in 1960, Felton took over the East Tennessee division of Manhattan Life of New York two years later. He remained there until he opened the Tennessee Brokerage Agency in 1976. Two of his three children have since joined the agency.
Felton served as president and vice president of the Knoxville Association of Life Underwriters, which became NAIFA-Knoxville. He received the David M. Blumberg Award for outstanding service to his industry and community. He founded the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) Foundation, which rewards grants to charities across the nation that support underprivileged youth. He published articles about the industry and was a frequent speaker at professional meetings.
Active in his community on many fronts, Felton participated in the Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville, the Rotary Club, and he founded the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial. He also served as county chairman of the Reagan-Bush campaign in the early 1980s and was a member of the board of directors of the Army Transportation Museum Foundation.
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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year—kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.