Gurian, Morris William
MORRIS WILLIAM GURIAN.

  While of Russian birth, Morris William Gurian has resided in America from the age of twelve years. His youth was a period of unremitting toil and from that time forward he has been dependent upon his own resources. He is truly a self-made man and as the architect his own fortune [sic] has builded wisely and well, for he now occupies a creditable position in insurance circles in New Haven, with offices at No. 42 Church street.

  He was born in Poland, Russia, June 23, 1879, a son of Herbert and Mary Gurian and attended school in his native land. The family emigrated to the new world when he was twelve years of age, the new home being established in Meriden, Connecticut, on the 22d of November, 1891. Soon afterward his father was killed in an accident and it was then necessary for Morris W. Gurian to start out in the business world to provide for himself and aid in the support of the family, so he only had opportunity to attend school in this country for two weeks. He was first employed in a woolen mill in Meriden at a salary of forty cents per day and in addition he made a dollar and a half per week by carrying papers. About 1893 he obtained an agency in Meriden for all the New York papers and his income mounted to from twenty-five to thirty dollars per week. He was thus engaged until he reached the age of eighteen years, when he turned the paper business over to his younger brother and sought other employment, being ever actuated by a spirit of laudable ambition which prompted him to take a forward step that would bring him a wider outlook and broader opportunities. For about six months he was employed by the International Silver Company and then turned his attention to the grocery business, in which he established himself in Wallingford, at that time a youth of but eighteen years. There he spent five years on the expiration of which period he came to New Haven and in 1906 became manager for the Empire Trading Stamp Company, which position he occupied for two years. He afterward traveled for a large tobacco house in New York city for eight months and for another tobacco house of Detroit, Michigan, for nine months.

  On the 5th of November, 1909, Mr. Gurian made his initial step in the insurance field, which he entered, it may be said, by accident. A friend suggested to him to try the life insurance field and particularly the line of industrial insurance. Mr. Gurian took the matter under consideration and upon coming to a conclusion decided upon old line insurance as preferable and as an experiment he entered that field and sold forty thousand dollars worth of old line life insurance in less than a week. He is the representative in New Haven of the New York Life Insurance Company and he made the One Hundred Thousand Dollar Club the first year. He soon won a place in the Two Hundred Thousand Dollar Club and for some time has been in the Five Hundred Thousand Dollar Club, indicating that he now places insurance to the amount of over half-million dollars annually. He has had a remarkable business career. From selling matches and papers on the streets of the city he has steadily advanced step by step until he is at the head of one of the largest insurance agencies not only in New Haven but in New England. His path has been beset with great difficulties and upon him devolved heavy responsibilities. When quite young he furnished the money to bring five of his brothers and sisters from Russia to America and at various periods he has contributed to the maintenance of the family. Undeterred by obstacles, however, he has steadily progressed and his thorough study of the insurance business has enabled him to so represent the interests of the company that he has gained a very extensive clientage. At the present he handles all kinds of insurance, including fire, life, automobile, accident, etc., and his business is one of the most gratifying proportions. He has other important interests, being one of the partners in the Teyrrell-Gurian Decorating Company, conducting an extensive business as decorating contractors. He is also adjuster for the New Amsterdam Casualty Company.

  Mr. Gurian’s mother died in 1914 and he has one brother and two sisters living, namely, Samuel B., Ester and Sarah Gurian. He was married in 1903 to Miss Elizabeth Wolfson who died in December, 1915. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and the Fraternal Order of Eagles and is also a member of Connecticut Lodge, I. O. B. A. He belongs to the Olive Street synagogue. He is an independent voter, but the political field holds no attraction for him. His thought and attention always were and are given to the development of his business interests, which have reached extensive and gratifying proportions, and he also interests himself in matters of community welfare.
 
 

Modern History of New Haven
and 
Eastern New Haven County

Illustrated

Volume II

New York – Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company 
1918

pgs 873-874

 
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NEW HAVEN 
COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES
pages / text are copyrighted by
Elaine Kidd O'Leary &
Anne Taylor-Czaplewski
May 2002