Born in Amery, WI, where his father had started a scratch insurance agency
1943
Graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BA and MA in Life Insurance
1943-1946
Joined the US Navy and saw the world on the Battleship Nevada
1946
Contracted with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and started his practice in Amery, WI
1955-1958
Joined Northwestern Mutual’s home office as Assistant Director of Agencies where he began researching the science behind client building
1956
Earned his CLU® on October 1, 1956
1958
Appointed assistant to John Jamison in Chicago and started the project of keeping agent activity records
1963
Appointed general agent in Chicago
1968
First spoke at MDRT in Miami about the trends he was finding in activity records
1968
Wrote the first version of Building an Life Insurance Clientele
1977
His agency produced $115,000,000 of premium paid for — the highest in Northwestern Mutual and in the industry
1978
With only 35 agents, produced excess of $152,000,000 of premium paid for — the highest in Northwestern Mutual and in the industry
1983
Inducted into the GAMA Hall of Fame
1986
Retired from Northwestern Mutual
2000
Received the Dennis Tamcsin General Agent Achievement Award for his lifetime impact on Northwestern Mutual
2002
Received the John Newton Russell award from NAIFA
2003
Received the Solomon S. Huebner Gold Medal from The American College of Financial Services
2012
The American College O. Alfred Granum Center for Financial Security is launched to honor Al and further his legacy in serving the industry
2014
Al was 91 years young when he passed away, having impacted countless lives and leaving an amazing legacy of contributions to the profession and the industry
