City Readers Digital Historic Collections at the New York Society Library

William Bard, an actuary and president of a life insurance company, was born on April 4, 1778, in New York City. He graduated from Columbia College in 1797, was trained in law, and lived on his family's estate in Hyde Park until age fifty, when he settled with his family in New York City in the late 1820s (Murphy 13-15). Searching for employment, he became the founder of the New York Life Insurance and Trust Company, its first president from 1830 to 1843, and an actuary for the company from 1830 until the 1850s. During his tenure, the company became one of the leading life insurance companies in the country (Hirsch 33). He served as a trustee of Columbia College from 1840 to his death.

Bard's parents were Mary Bard and physician Samuel Bard. He married Catherine Cruger on October 7, 1802; they had fourteen children (Murphy 15).

Bard died on October 17, 1853, in Staten Island.