text: It would be difficult to imagine a more tumultuous year than 2001. But if one major test of 
  
  a company’s character is its performance in the face of extreme adversity, The Hartford 
  
  aced that test. 
  
  Successfully managing our company through a turbulent stock market and the begin- 
  
  ning of a recession was challenge enough through the ﬁrst eight months of the year. 
  
  Then came the morning of Sept. 11. What followed, in retrospect, almost made those 
  
  “normal” challenges seem like child’s play. 
  
  None of us will ever forget where we were when we heard the shocking news. I had just 