Longtime insurance agency owner William Glass and his wife, Meg, are working to ensure University of Mississippi students majoring in risk management and insurance (RMI) have the resources needed to succeed.
The Collierville, Tennessee, couple has created the William L. and Meg Glass Scholarship Endowment in the School of Business Administration with a gift of $50,000. They described the Ole Miss Risk Management and Insurance Program as one of the best in the country.
“I think it’s a top-notch program and is well-respected throughout the industry,” said William Glass. “My son graduated from the program in 2020, and I was very pleased with the preparation he received.
“Education costs are fairly expensive, and the insurance business has been good to me. I felt like I should give back and help other people have the chance that I have had. I think it’s important to give back.”
The Ole Miss RMI Program is one of only 34 Global Centers of Insurance Excellence that have been recognized across 11 countries. UM’s program is among the oldest and largest in the nation and boasts a strong alumni network. Ole Miss is one of only two Southeastern Conference schools with a risk management and insurance major.
Andre Liebenberg, the Gwenette P. and Jack W. Robertson Chair of Insurance and professor of finance, said the result of the Glasses’ support will be felt in student recruitment.
“I appreciate the generosity of Meg and William Glass in providing scholarship support for our risk management and insurance students. As a result of their gift, and that of our other scholarship donors, we are better able to attract and retain excellent students. Scholarships significantly impact students’ lives by allowing them to concentrate on their schoolwork and reducing the amount of student debt they will have to repay.”
The RMI curriculum focuses on commercial risk management and culminates in a capstone course in which students perform a comprehensive risk management audit of a company, write a detailed report of risk control and transfer recommendations, and present their solutions to a panel of experts. Students determine where they would fit best in the industry by working as interns for six hours of academic credit.
RMI faculty give students the knowledge and preparation they need to succeed in their careers. Advisory board members mentor students and help keep the program connected to the industry. Other highlights include RMI career fairs, an RMI resume book, an annual insurance symposium, an active RMI fraternity that hosts guest speakers and networking events, generous scholarships, an established summer internship program, opportunities to earn credit toward professional designations and funded student travel to conferences.
“I hope the long-term impact of our gift is that there are students who will get into risk management and insurance and the program will help them develop rewarding careers and give them some direction for their future,” said Glass who earned his degree in business administration from Ole Miss in 1984. “The Ole Miss RMI Program gives them the tools they will need.”
Glass has been a licensed insurance agent for over 30 years and has owned his own insurance agency, The Glass Group, since 1997. His wife and son, Spencer, work with him.
“My Ole Miss degree prepared me well,” said Glass, who grew up in the boot heel of southeast Missouri with his dad and great uncle as UM alumni. “It gave me a good foundation for the insurance industry, effective communication skills and the ability to deal with people.
“I had a great experience as an undergraduate. I made lifelong friends and received well-rounded education thanks to experiences inside and outside the classroom.”
Meg and William Glass are involved in philanthropic service in Memphis, Tennessee, and combine their love for the outdoors with their love of travel.
To make a gift to the William L. and Meg Glass Scholarship Endowment, send a check to the University of Mississippi Foundation, with the fund’s name written in the memo line, to 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655; or online here. To learn how to support the RMI program, contact Angela Brown, senior director of development for the School of Business Administration, at browna@olemiss.edu or 662-915-3181.
By Tina H. Hahn/UM Development