Proclamation from State of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel on Nationwide’s 100th anniversary

In honor of Nationwide’s centennial, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel issued the following proclamation to Nationwide CEO Kirt Walker on April 14, 2026, 100 years to the day the company sold its first policy in 1926. 

While accepting the proclamations on behalf of Nationwide employees, customers and partners, Walker provided the following comments: 

“On behalf of everyone at Nationwide, thank you for this proclamation and for recognizing our company’s 100th anniversary. It is an incredible honor to be celebrated by our home state on this milestone day. 

Nationwide’s story is, at its heart, an Ohio story. One hundred years ago, farmers across Ohio pooled together $10,000 to create a mutual company that would give rural drivers a fairer, more affordable option for auto insurance, leading to our first policy being sold on April 14, 1926. That spirit of people coming together to protect one another is still the foundation of Nationwide today. 

Over the last century, we’ve grown alongside this state — from a small auto insurer to one of the largest and most diversified insurance and financial services companies in the country, and the largest private company in Columbus. I firmly believe that this success is due in large part to our Ohio founding, values and the many Ohioans who work at Nationwide.  

As a responsible corporate citizen, we’ve strived to give back to this state we call home. Through the Nationwide Foundation and corporate giving, Nationwide has contributed more than $745 million to communities since 2000, with a focus on crisis stabilization, affordable housing and economic empowerment.  

We’ve also partnered with the State of Ohio to make our roads and communities safer. Decades ago, Nationwide was among the first insurers to reward drivers for using seat belts. Currently, Nationwide’s industry-leading telematics programs are providing customized feedback on phone distractions to help our members reduce distracted driving. Nationwide also joined a broad coalition to advocate for passage of Ohio’s Hands‑Free law to combat distracted driving. Your leadership, along with the bipartisan leadership of the Ohio General Assembly, in enacting the law in 2023 along with other safety efforts, has helped contribute to four consecutive years of traffic‑fatality reductions across the state of Ohio. 

That is the kind of practical partnership that saves lives and reflects the best of business and government working together. To you, Gov. DeWine and Lt. Gov. Tressel, and to the leaders and people of Ohio: thank you for your partnership, your confidence and your support over the last century. We are proud to call Ohio home, and to support all Ohioans for generations to come.”