The History of The Risk Management and Insurance Center at Olivet College

In 1979, representatives of the insurance business community met with the director of special projects at Olivet College and former insurance agent, William Burgess to discuss the needs for future insurance professionals.  They organized and conducted an Insurance Career Day on November 8, 1979.  The full day program consisted of 39 insurance professionals interviewing 92 Olivet College students regarding insurance career opportunities.  The students were impressed with the interest of the insurance professionals, and the insurance professionals were impressed with the caliber of the Olivet College students.  Many of the insurance professionals expressed an interest in the insurance education program at Olivet College.

The insurance business leaders formed an insurance council that focused on curriculum development and fundraising.  The initial council consisted of:

David Adams, Academic Dean, Olivet College

John Blanke, Sentry Insurance of Michigan, Inc.

Evans Brown, Trager Birney Agency

Terry Buckles, Michigan Association of Insurance Companies

William Burgess, Director of Special Projects, Olivet College

Jack Butterick, Professional Insurance Agents of Michigan (retired)

Robert Byers, Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company

Robert Clark, Capitol Savings & Loan

Charles Cook, Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company

William Corder, Variable Annuity Marketing Company

Patricia Doll, Professional Insurance Women’s Association

Douglas Federau, Okemos Agency, Inc.

James Graham, Variable Annuity Marketing Company

Richard Hansen, American National Insurance Company

Richard Hartman, Auto-Owners Insurance Company

Gerald Kanter, North American Agencies

Thomas Kelly, Michigan Claims Service, Inc.

David Macktel, WJIM

Fritz Lewis, Michigan Independent Insurance Agents Association

Richard McLellan, McLellan, Schlaybaugh, and Whitbeck

Leo Merten, Financial Services

Donald Morris, President, Olivet College

Daniel Nulty, The Nulty Agency

Donald Overton, Michigan Claims Service, Inc.

Robert Pierce, Michigan Independent Insurance Agents Association

Gorton Riethmiller, President Emeritus, Olivet College

Frank Rothfuss, Hastings Mutual Insurance Company

Thomas Sullivan, Transamerica Insurance Group

Charles Trubac, State Farm Insurance Companies

David Underwood, Reynolds Agency, Inc.

Michael Ward, Professional Insurance Agents of Michigan

Joseph Winfrey, National Life of Vermont

Leo Merten was the chairman of the Insurance Council

The Executive Committee of the Insurance Council included:

John Blanke

Jack Butterick

Patricia Doll

James Graham

Gerald Kanter

Thomas Kelly

Leo Merten

Donald Morris

Gorton Riethmiller

Frank Rothfuss

Thomas Sullivan

Charles Trubac

Initially, in 1980, the curriculum was designed as a major in insurance.  The first insurance classes offered in the fall of 1980:

221 Principles of Insurance

321 Principles of Risk and Insurance (INS 21)

322 Life Insurance (HS 301)

324 Property Insurance (INS 22)

325 Liability Insurance (INS 23)

After developing an initial curriculum, the insurance council designed and conducted a Career Opportunity Day on March 4, 1981 for high school counselors, to describe the very diverse career opportunities available in the insurance business and the insurance education program at Olivet College.

Professor John Homer was appointed director of the insurance program in August, 1981.  On October 5, 1981, the major became the Insurance Concentration in the Business Administration Major.  Insurance classes were taught by insurance professionals - including Stewart Bearup, Evans Brown, Duane Bowers Sr., Terry Buckles, Jack Butterick, Robert Byers, Wanda Cascarelli, William Corder, George Dalimonte, William Duell, Robert Dunker, Jud English, Doug Federau, James Graham, Richard Hansen, Richard Hartman, Charlie Howard, Gerald Kanter, Thomas Kelly, Gene Lewis, Leo Merten, Thomas Miller, Charles Morscheck, Dan Nulty, Donald Overton, James Siemers, James Stebbins, Clair Stevens, Thomas Sullivan, Charles Swinehart, David Tuls, David Underwood, Joseph Winfrey.  The Insurance Council eventually became the Insurance Program Advisory Committee.

The first industry symposium was held in October, 1981, to generate money for program operations and scholarships.  The symposium focused on financial services integration and featured then president of the American Institute and Insurance Institute of America, Dr. Edwin Overman, then commissioner of financial institutions for the State of Michigan, Martha Segrist, and then president of the Society of CPCU, Seeman Waranch.

In May 1983, insurance professionals and campus leaders dedicated Mott 405 and the Insurance Room.  Recognizing the need for insurance students to have a well-rounded background in business, the insurance major was converted to a major in business administration with a concentration in business - still providing all the courses equivalent to an insurance major at a large university.

In 1983, Clair Stevens was appointed director of the insurance program, and continued to use an increasing number of insurance professionals in the classroom.  Stevens created the first annual Insurance Appreciation Day at a home football game in October, 1984.  A reception, featuring a humorous skit was held following the game in the Comet Café in the lower level of the Kirk Center.  Insurance symposia continued to be held annually.

Dr. Edwin Overman, chairman emeritus of the Insurance Institute of American and the American Institute of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, was awarded an honorary doctorate at Olivet College on May 19, 1985.

Upon completion of his Juris Doctorate, Stevens recruited a successor for the director's position.  Mike Hubbel joined Olivet College as the director of the insurance program on July 1, 1985.  Students started attending the monthly Central Michigan Underwriters Meetings.  The insurance club started selling "Halloween Insurance Policies" as a fundraiser in October 1985.

The annual spring trip to tour insurance organizations in Chicago, and alternatively Toronto, began in April, 1986.  Darlene Roberts '88 was the first Olivet insurance student selected in a national competition to attend the Risk and Insurance Management Society's annual conference in Las Vegas, in April 1986. 

The national insurance and risk management professional fraternity, Gamma Iota Sigma chartered the Alpha Alpha Chapter at Olivet College on September 23, 1986 (see http://web.olivetcollege.edu/gis).  The Alpha Alpha Chapter hosted its first booths at the then Independent Insurance Agents of Michigan and the Professional Insurance Agents of Michigan association conventions in 1986.

Our first newsletter was edited by Jeff Berry '89, was published on November 4, 1987.  "Risk Wars," the Factory Mutuals' Risk Management Game competition began in the fall of 1987.  Our newsletter became the Olivet Underwriter in the spring of 1989.

On January 10, 1986, at the direction of the Insurance Program Advisory Committee, Hubbel wrote a position paper to propose the establishment of a Center for Insurance in the planned addition to the Burrage Library at Olivet College, which now houses the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame collection.

Students started attending the Michigan Association of Insurance Companies' Mid-year Meeting in February 1987.

Clair Stevens returned to Olivet College on a part-time basis as adjunct instructor, teaching business law courses.

The Alpha Alpha Chapter, for the first time, planned and hosted the national conference of Gamma Iota Sigma in Lansing, Michigan, in September 29 to October 2, 1988.  The conference featured a paddleboat cruise and lunch in Grand Ledge (the first Gamma Iota Sigma "dinner cruise"), a hayride in Charlotte, a spouses program, a career fair, and workshops.

A campaign to establish the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame and Center for Insurance, in the new Burrage Library addition, was kicked-off in the spring of 1989.  Jeff Sandy '90, was the first Olivet insurance student selected in a national competition for the coveted National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices Summer Internship program in 1989.  Jeff is also the first Olivet student to participate in an externship at Lloyd's of London.  The Alpha Alpha Chapter won its first Edison L. Bowers Award - the top award in the nation - in October 1989, in addition to other national awards won continuously each year since its chartering.

The Alpha Alpha Chapter won its first Edison L. Bowers award (“best chapter”) for the 1988 to 1989 year.

Upon Hubbel's return to the business community as vice president of an insurance company, Janet K. Holstine was recruited as the new director and joined Olivet College in August, 1989.  Janet increased the number of symposia to two per year.  She also arranged an agreement with the American College to waive completion of two parts of the Chartered Life Underwriter professional designation for insurance students that pass the two corresponding courses at Olivet College.

Janet recruited alumni of the insurance program to be involved on the Insurance Program Advisory Committee, and began to develop a stronger connection between the insurance agency community and the students.

The Alpha Alpha Chapter won its second Edison L. Bowers award (“best chapter”) for the 1990 to 1991 year.

The Alpha Alpha Chapter hosted its first golf outing in August, 1991.  Jeff Lamb '92 was awarded the first Gamma Iota Sigma Grand Chapter Leadership award (now the Alan C. Williams Leadership Award) - the first individual award to recognize contributions at the national level, in October 1991.  Janet hired the first full-time assistant for the insurance program, Sonia Thorndyke, in January, 1993.

The Olivet College Insurance Program began offering evening courses for the Insurance Institute of America General Insurance (INS) series, and the CPCU program in 1993.  In 1993, members of the Southwestern Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Insurance Women and members of the Olivet College Insurance Program met to organize the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame.

In 1994, the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame was incorporated as a 501c(3) non-profit organization to recognize business leaders who have made significant contributions in the field of insurance and risk management in Michigan, and to generate scholarship and research awards for insurance and risk management students. (see http://web.olivetcollege.edu/mihof)

In August, 1994, upon Janet's move into full-time educational consulting, Sonia Thorndyke was named Coordinator of the Insurance Program until a new director could be hired.  Sonia coordinated the first Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner, inducting ten business leaders on October 4, 1994 - instantly creating one of the premiere annual insurance industry events in Michigan.

Mike Hubbel returned to direct the Olivet College Insurance Program in January, 1995.  The first senior seminar was held on March 25, 1995.  Geoff Widlak '95, was the first insurance student selected to be the speaker at the Olivet College Commencement ceremony in 1995.  On August 11, 1995, Mike began our partnership with the Michigan Association of Insurance Companies (now the Insurance Institute of Michigan) in conducting the High School Educators Seminar on Insurance for Western Michigan University.

The first insurance intensive learning term was held in New York City on April 22 to May 10, 1996.

Students started attending the annual spring conference of the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents Young Agents' Council in June, 1997.  For the second time, the Alpha Alpha Chapter planned and hosted the national Gamma Iota Sigma conference on Mackinac Island, on October, 1997.  Evening course offerings were increased to include the Associate in Claims program in September, 1997.

Sonia Thorndyke coordinated the first multi-college career fair on the campus of Olivet College on November 12, 1997.

Then a student working on her Legacy Fellowship, Carol (Barrick) Breed designed the Ethics and Presentations course to help insurance students meet their service learning requirement while learning more about ethics and developing stronger presentation skills.  The course was first offered in the spring of 1998 with great success from the very beginning.

Sonia created the first website for the Olivet College Insurance Program on in 1998.  With the change of the Gamma Iota Sigma national conference to the spring, our annual spring tour to Chicago or Toronto became the fall tour in the fall of 1998.

The Alpha Alpha Chapter won its third Edison L. Bowers award (“best chapter”) for the 1998 to 1999 year.

The first "guided independent learning" insurance course was offered in a "one-room schoolhouse" classroom format in the spring 1999 semester.  Commercial Underwriting and Claims Adjusting were the two classes offered in this format.  The first Insurance Organization Road Rally was held on March 17, 1999.  Gamma Iota Sigma members began wearing gold stolls with their graduation regalia in the spring of 1999.  The Alpha Alpha Chapter at Olivet College, was the first Gamma Iota Sigma Chapter to wear the gold stolls.

In the fall of 1999, Sonia moved on to manage our Information Technology Services office.  Stephanie Pingel was brought in to administer the Insurance Program operations including the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame, professional designation classes in Lansing, and our national exam testing site.  She also had a great talent for design - from our new office layout to dinner events to promotional flyers to our display case - she gave everything a very professional, first class "look."  And whenever we needed something, she could find it on the Internet!

During the summer of 2001, we conducted a two-week seminar on insurance company operations for new insurance executives from Uzbekistan, leaders in the creation of Uzbekistan’s first insurance company in the private sector.

The Alpha Alpha Chapter won its fourth Edison L. Bowers award (“best chapter”) for the 2000 to 2001 year.

Carol (Barrick) Breed joined the faculty of Olivet College in the fall of 2001, completing a formidable team in insurance education – Breed, Hubbel & Pingel.  She immediately began work on development of our insurance agency curriculum, a strong partnership with the insurance agency community, and creating internship and job opportunities for our insurance students in the insurance agency business.

The Alpha Alpha Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma at Olivet College hosted the Annual Management Conference of Gamma Iota Sigma for its third time, in New Orleans, April 11 through 13, 2002.  Planning was a challenge for the student leaders, since none of us had been to New Orleans!  We planned the entire conference from Michigan.  Under the chairmanship of Jason Wells ’02, the event was conducted flawlessly, including a Gamma Iota Sigma parade of 250 costumed insurance students and faculty, and a marching band, down Canal Street from Bourbon to the Mississippi River!  The Alpha Alpha Chapter also recruiting and sponsored the first international chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Canada, inducted at the conference in New Orleans, which made Gamma Iota Sigma an international organization.

In the fall of 2002, the college created the new Department of Insurance and Risk Management, chaired by Mike Hubbel.

In 2003, at the request of the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices, the Alpha Alpha Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma hosted its first annual collegiate insurance symposium about the excess and surplus lines market, titled “The Extreme Risk Takers,” on the campus of Olivet College, September 26 and 27, 2003.  57 students attended from 8 different colleges and universities.  The Alpha Alpha Chapter continues to organize and host this symposium each spring in downtown Chicago.  Over 90 students attended from 12 colleges and universities in 2007.

A new Insurance and Risk Management (IRM) Major was approved on February 4, 2004, featuring the first internship requirement at Olivet College, an expanded curriculum in finance and insurance, and a new course in insurance negotiations and persuasive presentations.

Carol planned and organized our first insurance intensive learning term in London, England, April 29 to May 11, 2004.  The classes in London featured special presentations at Lloyd’s of London, Chubb, Marsh, and Swiss Re, and the Chartered Insurance Institute of London (CII).  Students and faculty also enjoyed a special tour of the CII’s Museum of Insurance.

Carol began working on the development of a new insurance certificate program with the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and other two-year colleges, to attract more students into the study of insurance.

In the fall of 2004, Carol Breed was appointed co-chair with Michelle Woodhouse-Jackson, of the new Department of Business Administration, and the Insurance Program re-affiliated with the Department of Business, while continuing under the directorship of Mike Hubbel.  The Insurance Program began providing some administrative services for the Westran Insurance Education Scholarship Foundation in 2004.

In 2005, the Insurance Program achieved a new milestone, with over 100 students enrolled in the Gamma Iota Sigma department seminar for students interested in insurance and risk management.  Most of these students will go on to pursue the IRM major.  With this continued growth, consideration is being given to implementing admission requirements in the major.

The Alpha Alpha Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma hosted the now international conference for the fourth time in the fall of 2005, on Mackinac Island.

Marie Steele joined Olivet College as the Insurance Program Administrator in November, 2006.  She manages the operations of the insurance program, which includes program accounting, annual solicitation, the evening professional exam preparation classes, the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame, and administrative activities for the Westran Insurance Scholarship Foundation.

On December 6, 2006, faculty approved a new requirement for Insurance Majors: they must have a 3.0 or better overall grade point average to take 300 and 400-level IRM classes, and to graduate with the IRM major.

On December 6, 2006, faculty also approved an transfer agreement to encourage graduates of the Business – Insurance Program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Canada, to transfer to Olivet College to complete a four-year degree.

On May 2, 2007, faculty approved the new Financial Planning Major.  C. Diana Webb joined the insurance faculty at Olivet College in August, 2007, to teach our financial planning courses.

On February 20, 2009, the Board of Trustees of Olivet College changed our name from the Olivet College Insurance Program to The Risk Management and Insurance Center at Olivet College.

On March 4, 2009, faculty approved the new Actuarial Science Major.  This program was designed by the Olivet College Department of Mathematics, in partnership with The Risk Management and Insurance Center.

On April 30, 2009, Olivet College received approval to offer the new Master of Business Administration degree in Insurance from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.

In August 2009, Clair Stevens rejoins The Risk Management and Insurance Center full-time.  He is now Associate Professor of Insurance and Risk Management.  In addition to teaching business law courses, he is teaching ethics, negotiations, claims adjusting, and other insurance courses.  He is assisting with the implementation of the new Insurance Claims Investigation Minor in partnership with the Olivet College Criminal Justice Program, approved by faculty on February 4, 2009.