Quirk & Company was founded in San Antonio on June 1, 1930, with the first contracted company being Southern Fire Insurance Company of St. Louis, Missouri. This company shortly thereafter became the home of New York's group of companies. In the beginning our contracted companies were all property insurance companies. The original name of the company was W.H. Quirk & Co., with Fred McAllister, who was property underwriter for many years with the Hornberger-Beckmann General Agency, joining W.H. Quirk, Sr. after about ninety days. The name of the company became Quirk & McAllister.

The Original Partnership of W.H. Quirk. Sr. and Fred McAllister Consisted of Fred McAllister handling underwriting and W.H. Quirk Sr. handling the field work.

W.H. Quirk Sr. Started in the insurance business in Chicago, Illinois with the Continental of New York. He came to Texas in 1909 to work for the old Woulett Rating Bureau. This operation became the State Fire Insurance Division. Mr. Quirk later worked for the Seinsheimer operation in Galveston, the Republic Insurance Company of Dallas, Texas, and as state agent for Northwestern National Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He brought the Northwestern National to the Hornberger-Beckman General Agency when he joined the in the early 1920's. He was special agent for Hornberger-Beckmann until he started his own general agency on June 1, 1930.

On June 1, 1941, W.H. Quirk purchased the interest of Fred McAllister. On that date the name of Quirk & Company came into existence.

W.H. Quirk, Sr. brought his two sons into the ownership of the general agency. W.H. Quirk, Jr. had been associated with the general agency off and on from 1930. Frank left the State insurance department on April 1, 1940 to rejoin Quirk & Company on a full time basis.

During the 1930's and until the latter 1940's the general agency prospered with such fine companies as the Gibraltar Fire and Marine Insurance Company and the city of New York Insurance Company, both Home of the New York Group, Lafayette Fire Insurance Company, Central Fire Insurance Company of the Insurance of North America Group, Federal Union Insurance Company of Royal Globe Group, Sentinel Fire Insurance Company of the Springfield fire and Marine group, and Atlanta Home Underwriters of the Fireman's Fund Group.

It was in 1939 that the general agency contracted with its first casualty company, The Western Casualty and Surety Company of Fort Scott, Kansas, along with its associate company The Western Fire Insurance Company. In 1943 Quirk & Company contracted with the Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company. Later that contract was changed to the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company.

In 1953 we contracted with the Employers Liability Assurance Corporation of the Employers Group of Boston. The original contract was only for fire and marine insurance, and later included casualty representation of the Northern Assurance Company. The Western Companies, the USF&G and the Employers of Boston were all pillars of strength with the general agency until 1969 when our standard business was sold to Aetna Insurance Company.

In 1969 Quirk & Company became a specialty and surplus lines wholesaler. In 1984 we contracted with National Unity Insurance Company and again began operating with this company as a managing general agency.