William M. Rue '69

Much of Bill Rue's ('69) life has been shaped by his family's traditions. He is the president of Rue Insurance, which was established by his grandfather Charles E. Rue in 1917. It was passed on to Bill's father, C. Lester Rue and then on to Bill. Charles E. Rue was a farmer and a member of the Grange. When he became a member of the board of directors of the Grange's insurance company, he began selling insurance for them. He enjoyed the insurance business so much that he founded his own company, and today Rue Insurance is one of the largest independently-owned insurance agencies in New Jersey.

The insurance business isn't the only Rue family tradition. In 1969 Bill became the third Rue in as many generations to earn a Rider degree. In recent years Bill, now a member of the Rider board of trustees, has treated the university as if it were a member of his family by naming Rider the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. This gift will provide continuing support for Rider students long after his lifetime. "There is a whole new generation that needs to be educated," Bill says, "and the price of education continues to increase. If you can help others pay for their education, you should, especially if you had help."

Bill says that his parents and his grandparents supported Rider, and now it's his turn. "I had a great experience at Rider," he says. It gave me the foundation to achieve the things I wanted to achieve. My mother and father always taught me that you have to give back." After all, community support is just another of the Rue family traditions.

Learn more about creating a legacy with Rider by contacting Ryan W. Baumuller, Director of Planned Giving, at 609-896-5233.