Ohio Wesleyan Receives $850,000 Gift from 1982 Graduate Daniel S. Glaser
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University has received a five-year, $850,000 gift commitment from Daniel S. Glaser, a 1982 OWU graduate from New York City. Glaser’s gift will be used in three ways: to create an endowed scholarship for students from single-parent homes, aid the university’s Spectrum Resource Center, and support the Ohio Wesleyan Fund.
The Daniel S. Glaser ’82 Endowed Scholarship recognizes the significant challenges facing students raised by only one parent and seeks to support the educational aspirations of these young people. The Daniel S. Glaser ’82 Endowment for the Spectrum Resource Center provides ongoing support for the student-run center that serves the university’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning (LGBTIQ) community. His gift also benefits the Ohio Wesleyan Fund, an unrestricted account that supports campus operations, including infrastructure improvements and student scholarships.
Glaser is the president and chief executive officer of New York-based Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC), a leading global professional services firm offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and human capital. Glaser was profiled recently by the national Council of Independent Colleges as part of its “Securing America’s Future” initiative. For the profile, he shared his thoughts on the value of an Ohio Wesleyan liberal arts education.
“To this day, the greatest graduation ‘gifts’ I received, and for which I am most thankful, are the foundation for lifelong learning that my educational experience gave me and the inspiration to always strive for excellence,” Glaser said. “There are differences between getting an ‘A’ and getting a ‘B.’ In school and in life, you can do just well enough, or you can press a bit harder and create something exceptional.”
Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones, Ph.D., said Glaser is an exceptional example of the power of a liberal arts education, and his generous contribution helps the university to advance its mission of teaching students to think critically, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively as they prepare for global citizenship and leadership.
“I am grateful to Dan Glaser for recognizing and articulating the value of his Ohio Wesleyan experience and for his generosity in helping other students to have that same transformational opportunity,” Jones said. “Dan’s latest commitment will bring his lifetime giving to Ohio Wesleyan to $1 million, making him a member of our distinguished Founders Circle. As we move forward with work to improve our buildings and expand our curriculum to support global and interdisciplinary learning, we rely on such gifts to help us advance. I hope Dan inspires others to follow his lead.”
At Ohio Wesleyan, Glaser currently serves as a Trustee-at-Large and a member of the capital campaign planning committee. As a student, he was a double-major in economics and politics and government, earning induction into the Pi Sigma Alpha Politics and Government Honorary. He played varsity football and was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. In addition to his OWU Bachelor of Arts degree, Glaser also is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of Harvard Business School.
Prior to becoming president and CEO of Marsh & McLennan Companies in January 2013, Glaser served as group president and chief operating officer from April 2011 through December 2012. He began his career with the company’s Marsh Inc. retail brokerage unit 30 years ago. Since then, he has served in senior positions in commercial insurance and insurance brokerage in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
Glaser is a former chairman of BritishAmerican Business and serves on its International Advisory Board. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of Insurance Information Institute and the Board of Trustees of the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters. He and his wife, Emily, live in New York City and have three daughters. Learn more about giving to Ohio Wesleyan at owu.edu/waystogive.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private, coed university offers more than 90 undergraduate majors, minors, and concentrations, and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world practice. OWU’s 1,850 students represent 42 states and 37 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.