Stewart Title history

W.C. Morris, a significant player in Stewart's history, joined the company in 1897 as a stenographer and later married William's only daughter Wilamina (Willie).

1898 The partnership of Maco and Clegg Stewart Law and Abstract Offices is formed.

“Stewart Title Company has restored the building, replacing the ornate cornice which had been missing since the famous 1900 Galveston storm.”

Maco continued to issue abstracts through the Stewart Law & Land Title Office until 1905, when he and brother Minor offered the first title insurance in Texas in the form of an indemnity against loss due to title claims.

1907 Maco Stewart states intention to have offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Galveston in letter to William T. Sargeanty.

1908 Stewart Title Guaranty Company is chartered and becomes first title insurance underwriter in Texas.

1910 Stewart Title Guaranty company purchases an abstract company in Dallas, its first acquisition outside Galveston.

1913 Stewart Title Guaranty opens an office in Houston, and also begins writing title insurance in Houston through agent Stewart Abstract Company.

1914 El Paso Title Company is acquired to issue abstracts and title insurance for STG.

1925 El Paso Title Company becomes Stewart Abstract Company.

1929 Stewart Title Guaranty strongly backs the regulations of Texas Title Insurance 1929, which places title insurers under the supervision of the Board of Insurance Commissioners.

1933 The Homeowners Loan Corporation is created to aid citizens with mortgage defaults.

1938 Maco Stewart passes away.

1950 Stewart Morris, Sr., become president of Stewart Title and brother Carloss Morris takes over management of Stewart Guaranty.

1951 W.C. Morris’ sons Carloss and Stewart are elected president of Stewart Title Guaranty Company and president of Stewart Title Company, respectively.

In 1956, the company expanded beyond Texas, opening an office in New Mexico.

1960 Stewart establishes offices and agencies in Arizona, California, Florida and Louisiana.

The company hit another milestone in 1965, when it established its first affiliation with a computerized title operation in Los Angeles.

Two years later in 1967, Stewart assisted in forming another computerized title plant in Houston.

1970 Stewart Information Services Corporation is formed as a holding company.

One year after the company went public in 1972, the firm built a new corporate office in Houston, a sign of Stewart's growing prosperity.

The brothers subsequently invested $2.4 million in 1977 to develop computer services for the title industry in order to chart operations and real estate information.

By 1981, Stewart Information Services Corporation was issuing policies through more than 1,000 offices in 38 states.

1983 Company revenues pass $100 million for the first time; SISCO stock splits 2:1, and the company raises $11 million in its second public offering.

1986 Stewart is named one of the 101 best-performing companies in the United States, with revenues of $178 million.

1987 With its expansion to Alaska and the incorporation of Stewart Title Insurance Company in New York, Stewart writes title insurance through more than 2,000 issuing offices.

1990 Stewart issuing offices grow to 2,700 locations throughout the United States.

The company formed Stewart Information International in 1992 to coordinate its various global enterprises.

1994 Stewart Information Services Corporation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol STC.

1995 Stewart Information Services Corporation is the first stock quoted on the New York Exchange on the first day of trading.

The company was on a profitable run by the end of 1998 with year-end record revenues approaching $1 billion.

In 1999, new leadership assumed control of Stewart Information Services Corporation when Malcolm S. Morris and Stewart Morris, Jr., sons of Carloss and Stewart Sr. respectively, were elected co-CEOs.

In May 2000, Stewart Information announced that its title insurers were offering products through more than 5,000 offices in the United States and abroad.

In January 2001, Stewart International, the wholly owned subsidiary of Stewart Information Services opened a new office in the Dominican Republic to provide title guaranty, escrow, and closing services for buyers and sellers of residential and commercial property throughout the country.

In April 2002, moreover, the company's subsidiary, Landata Research, Inc., changed its name to Stewart Business Information to better inform customers of its Stewart affiliation.

In January 2003, Landata Group merged two operating entities to form Stewart Geo Technologies, an international provider of geospatial solutions, including mapping services, geographic information systems (GIS) application development, GIS consulting, and Internet data integration and publication.

Stewart Title Guaranty Co. announced the formation of a wholly owned subsidiary, Stewart Realty Solutions, in January 2004.

In April 2005, Stewart Mortgage Information began offering a suite of origination and post-closing products and services to assist mortgage brokers making the transition to becoming mortgage bankers.

2006 Stewart achieves $1.4 billion in assets and $44.11 book value per share, the highest in the company’s history.

2007 Matt Morris is promoted to overseeing the home office service centers, supporting field operations.

2008 A major restructuring of senior leadership increases focus on core delivery channels and customer segments; the company consolidates accounting, IT, human resources and procurement functions across the organization.

2009 Stewart Lender Services® responds to the market downturn by offering a range of solutions, including a full-service REO asset management division, a short sale management division, specialized services to help mortgage servicers with loan modifications and refinances, and more.

2010 InformationWeek ranks Stewart #34 on its InformationWeek 500, a list of the country’s most innovative users of business technology.

2011 Matt Morris is appointed CEO of Stewart Information Services Corporation (SISCO), overseeing all company operations; Malcolm S. Morris and Stewart Morris, Jr., are named vice chairman.

2012 Forbes recognizes Stewart as one of its Top 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in America, based on an independent audit of over 8,000 companies listed on United States stock exchanges.

2013 Stewart celebrates 120 years of magnificent service, and is honored as a Texas Treasure in a ceremony at the state capitol.

2014 Stewart completes several significant acquisitions to expand services in the mortgage and title segment.

2015 The company continues to enact strategic plans to expand margins and reduce operating costs.

2016 CEO Matt Morris kicks off the year by ringing the Opening Bell® at the New York Stock Exchange.

2017 Stewart expands its footprint with strategic acquisitions of title companies whose footprints extend through Arizona, California, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

2018 As state legislatures across the country legalize eClosings, Stewart again takes an industry leader position in preparing and training both in its own offices and assisting our Stewart Trusted Providers ™ for the future of title transactions.

2019 Stewart and Fidelity mutually terminate their merger agreement and Stewart board votes to proceed as a standalone company.

All financial information as of July 1, 2021.