Question: What Texan founded the predecessor to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association?
Answer: Justin Ford Kimball. Born near Huntsville in 1872, he worked as a teacher after studying at several universities, including Baylor. He served as superintendent of the school systems in Temple and Dallas, and he was appointed president of the Texas State Teachers Association. He developed a hospital prepayment plan as the vice president of Baylor’s health institutions in Dallas, and it became popular among educators and staff at the Dallas Morning News. In 1939, the American Hospital Association adopted the Blue Cross symbol for plans that met certain standards.
