HARTFORD, Conn., March 10, 2000 — Aetna (NYSE: ΑET) has long acknowledged that for several years shortly after its founding in 1853, the company may have insured the lives of slaves. Despite limited and incomplete information in our archives on the extent of our participation, we express our deep regret over any participation at all in this deplorable practice.
We are proud of our commitment to a diverse workplace and society. We believe that any policy decisions made in the distant past are today more than outweighed by our record of diversity and support of fairness and equality for all people.
We have concluded that, beyond our apology, no further actions are required, considering our strong, consistent commitment to diversity over many years and the numerous philanthropic and workplace diversity initiatives we undertake and for which we have been publicly recognized.
