City dedicates C.W. Cameron Bridge along the Oklahoma River Trails 

(December 4, 2007) - The first in a series of seventeen bridges crossing tributaries of the Oklahoma River was named after American Fidelity Assurance (AFA) founder C.W. Cameron during a dedication ceremony hosted by the Riverfront Redevelopment Authority on December 3.

The Authority’s “Name the Bridge” program recognizes civic and community leaders while also raising funds for the Oklahoma River and trails.  The American Fidelity Foundation donated $40,000 to the Oklahoma River Foundation, an endowment established to benefit River projects.

The $40,000 gift accompanying each bridge dedication is expected to raise a total of $680,000 for the River’s endowment.

“We appreciate American Fidelity leading the way by honoring Mr. Cameron,” said Ron Norick, chairman of the Redevelopment Authority.  “His entrepreneurial skills and his leadership provide a model for the type of individual we hope to honor through this program.”

The C.W. Cameron Bridge is located on the walking trail in Regatta Park, just west of the Chesapeake Boathouse on the northern bank of the Oklahoma River.  Plaques bearing the name of C.W. Cameron are located at both ends of the bridge.

C.W. Cameron, initially a tenant farmer in Southwest Oklahoma after his father became disabled, began his insurance career by collecting premiums door-to-door.  He moved to Oklahoma City in 1935, acquired an insurance agency and then became a highly successful Oklahoma agent for Chicago’s North American Insurance Company.  In 1960, he founded American Fidelity Assurance Company with his son, the late C.B. Cameron.

Headquartered in Oklahoma City since its inception, AFA has grown to become one of the largest private, family-owned life and health insurance companies in the United States.  American Fidelity has been ranked among Fortune magazine's 100 best companies to work for in the United States each year since 2004.

“Our family and our company are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Riverfront Redevelopment Authority in this way,” said Bill Cameron, Chief Executive Officer of American Fidelity.  “To honor the memory of my grandfather and to help the River at the same time is rewarding for all of us.”

For more information about the “Name the Bridge” program, call bridge program chairman Paul Dudman at 232-0621.