Waggoner Insurance Agency of MaryvilleServing Clients Since 1929

The focus of the Small Town Agency Spotlight in this issue of the Tennessee Insuror magazine is the Waggoner Insurance Agency located in beautiful Maryville, Tennessee. Maryville is just a short twenty-five-minute drive almost due south of Knoxville in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. In fact, the Great Smoky Mountains are visible from many parts of town. Maryville is the birthplace and home of former Tennessee Governor and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander. Maryville College is also located in town and was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian minister Isaac L. Anderson with the mission of furthering education and enlightenment in the region.

The story of the Waggoner Agency begins in 1929 when Mr. A.B. Waggoner decided to become a life insurance agent for Mutual of New York providing life insurance to Maryville and nearby communities. One can surmise that he must have encountered some significant headwinds with the crash of the stock market in October of 1929 and the start of the Great Depression. In those days life insurance was sold door to door in the homes and businesses of people in the community from sunup to sundown. In the best of circumstances selling life insurance was no easy mission and had to be even more challenging with the depression weighing heavily on the pocketbooks of households across the region. Nevertheless, Mr. A.B. Waggoner preserved and in time became the number one agent in sales for Mutual of New York in the nation. Shortly after December 7, 1941, the United States formally entered World War II and A.B. Waggoner’s son A.B. Waggoner, Jr. joined the United States Army to serve in the war effort.

At the end of World War II A. B. Waggoner, Jr. returned home to Maryville after serving in the Army. Like many veterans at the time, he found his way into the insurance industry and started a small property and casualty agency selling home, auto and farm insurance to people in the area. After the war, the peacetime economy roared to life creating more opportunity. Families purchased cars, homes and started small businesses that all needed to be insured. So, A.B. Wagoner, Jr.’s father, joined the agency writing life insurance, property & casualty coverage and assisting with other aspects of managing the agency.

The small agency prospered during the postwar years as the agency served the community.

In 1978 A. B. Waggoner Jr.’s daughter Nell joined the agency after graduating from the University of Tennessee. In 1983, his son Andrew (A.B. Waggoner, III) also joined the agency after graduating from the University of Tennessee. Andrew and Nell became the third generation of the family to become involved in the insurance business. Eventually, their father retired from the agency due to health reasons. Andrew and Nell assumed full responsibility for managing the agency and providing insurance products and services to the community. Today, the agency writes primarily personal lines insurance and some commercial insurance for clients. The agency’s market reach extends beyond Maryville to Alcoa, Knoxville, Tellico Village, and other nearby towns. The agency represents several premier insurance carriers giving their clients excellent options relative to coverage and price.

While the agency demands much of their time, both Andrew and Nell are avid University of Tennessee Volunteer fans and enjoy following the football, basketball, and baseball teams in their quest for SEC championships and national championships. They both also enjoy going outdoors to enjoy the Maryville area and the beautiful foothills and mountains on their doorstep. u