An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages 383-384 GEORGE E. CLEVELAND, manager for the State of Washington of the Home Life Insurance Company, New York, is a native of Michigan, born at Spring Lake, December 16, 1862. His parents are Henry W. and Phoebe (Parham) Cleveland, the former being a druggist and a native of Jefferson county, New York, and the latter a native of Adams county, same State. George E. was reared at his native place, receiving the benefit of good educational advantages. He received his primary and academic education in the graded schools at Spring Lake, which was supplemented by a commercial business course at Nunica high school, a member of the class of 1880. For the three years following he was employed in the drug business as head clerk for his uncle at Spring Lake. In 1883 he went to Detroit, where he first began his connection with the Home Life Insurance Company, with whose interests he has since been identified. His field of operation was in the city of Detroit and State of Michigan until 1890, when he came to this coast. During the three years which preceded his coming West he was superintendent of agencies for the State of Michigan, and his change of location was for the purpose of establishing the business of the company in the State of Washington, he having the management of the Company's interest in this State. It was July 19, 1890, that he opened his offices in the Washington building on Pacific avenue, and here he has since continued, his being the first State agency in Washington with headquarters in Tacoma. His efforts to obtain a foothold for his company in this State have been very successful, the volume of business done showing a constant increase. Mr. Cleveland is a prominent Mason. He is a member of Spring Lake Lodge, No. 234, F. & A.M., Michigan; Tacoma Chapter, No. 4, R.A.M.; Tacoma Lodge of Perfection, No. 9; Tacoma Chapter of Knights Rose Croix, No. 6; Tacoma Council of Knights Kadosh, No. 4; A. & A. S.B.; was made a thirty-second-degree Mason, June 12, 1890, by Michigan Sovereign Consistory, S.P.R.S., Detroit; was made a Noble of the Mystic Shrine in Moslem Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S., Detroit. June 12, 1890; and affiliated with Afifi Temple, Tacoma, later in the same year; was the Director of Afifi Temple in 1892 and 1893; and is a member of Fern Chapter, No. 7, O.E.S., Tacoma. Politically, he is a Republican. Such, in brief, is a sketch of the life of one of the enterprising young business men of' Tacoma. Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.