Exhibit 99.1






                   ALLMERICA NAMES EPPINGER PRESIDENT AND CEO

WORCESTER, Mass. (August 19, 2003) - Allmerica Financial Corporation (NYSE: AFC)
today  announced  that it has  named  Frederick  Eppinger  as  President,  Chief
Executive  Officer  and  Director,  effective  September  8. At the  time of his
appointment, Eppinger, 44, was Executive Vice President of property and casualty
field  and  service  operations  for  The  Hartford,   with  responsibility  for
approximately  6,000  employees.  He joined The Hartford in 2001, as Senior Vice
President for Strategic Marketing,  and has more than 20 years experience in the
insurance and financial services business.

Eppinger  provided  consulting  services to  insurance  and  financial  services
companies for more than 15 years before  joining The Hartford.  He was a partner
in the  financial  institutions  group at McKinsey & Company,  an  international
management  consulting  firm,  which he joined  in 1985.  While  with  McKinsey,
Eppinger worked closely with leading  insurance  companies  focusing on critical
strategy,  operational  and  organizational  issues  in both  the  property  and
casualty and financial services businesses.  From 2000 to 2001, he was Executive
Vice President of Marketing and Service Operations for ChannelPoint, Inc., which
specialized  in business to business  technology  for  insurance  and  financial
services  companies.  Eppinger began his career as a certified public accountant
with Coopers & Lybrand.

A 1981 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross,  Eppinger  received a master's
degree in business  administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
College in 1985, where he was an Edward Tuck Scholar.

"We are  extremely  pleased  to  welcome  Fred to  Allmerica,"  said  Michael P.
Angelini,  Chairman of Allmerica's Board of Directors. "He brings versatility of
knowledge  and  experience  in both the  financial  services  and  property  and
casualty insurance businesses. Fred will be an effective leader for Allmerica as
we strengthen our regional  franchises  with The Hanover and Citizens  insurance
companies and maximize the value of our life  insurance,  investment  management
and broker-dealer businesses. He adds another dimension to our company."

"I am pleased to have this opportunity to lead Allmerica to a successful future,
and I appreciate  the  confidence  the company's  Board of Directors has in me,"
said

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Eppinger.  "My focus will be to position  Allmerica for increased  profitability
and  growth,  so  we  can  continue  to  serve  the  interests  of  all  of  our
stakeholders."

Eppinger succeeds John F. O'Brien, who resigned as president and chief executive
officer last fall.

Since  O'Brien's  departure,  the  company's  operations  have been  managed  by
Allmerica's  Office of the Chairman,  comprised of Angelini,  J. Kendall  Huber,
Senior Vice President and General Counsel,  Edward J. Parry,  III,  President of
Allmerica  Asset  Accumulation  and  Allmerica  Financial   Corporation's  Chief
Financial Officer, and Robert P. Restrepo,  Jr., President of Allmerica Property
and Casualty.

"Jay Huber,  Ed Parry and Bob Restrepo  have done an  outstanding  job of seeing
Allmerica through a very difficult period,  directing a successful restructuring
effort and positioning us for a great future," said Angelini.  "They have played
a key role in  strengthening  our focus on the  company's  property and casualty
operations,  converting  its  agent  distribution  network  into an  independent
broker-dealer and undertaking a number of capital improvement efforts."

Earlier  this  year,   Allmerica   completed  a  series  of  transactions   that
significantly  improved the capital and surplus  positions of its life insurance
companies.

"We've accomplished a great deal over the last nine months," said Angelini. "I'm
confident of our success under Fred's leadership and with the continuing support
of our many dedicated and talented employees."

Angelini will continue as Chairman of the Board.

Allmerica  Financial  Corporation is the holding company for a diversified group
of insurance  and  financial  services  companies  headquartered  in  Worcester,
Massachusetts.


Photograph  Available:  For a photograph of Frederick  Eppinger,  please contact
Mike Buckley at the following e-mail address or telephone number.



CONTACTS:               Media:                          Investors:
                        Michael F. Buckley              Henry P. St. Cyr
                        (508) 855-3099                  (508) 855-2959
                        mibuckley@allmerica.com         hstcyr@allmerica.com

AF-14
08/19/03

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