The Academy of Life Underwriting (ALU)

The Joint Education and Examination Committee, the predecessor of the ALU, was formed in 1948 by joint action of the Home Office Life Underwriters Association (HOLUA) and the Institute of Home Office Underwriters (IHOU).  The Committee's name was changed to Life Underwriting Education Committee (LUEC) in 1973. The Canadian Institute of Underwriters became a full partner with those two associations to sponsor LUEC in 1991. In 1998, the organization became the Education Committee of the Academy of Life Underwriting.  In 2012, the Academy of Life Underwriting became an independent organization. 

The ALU now provides a series of four exams leading to the Fellow, Academy of Life Underwriting designation.  In addition, we produce educational seminars, a series of web seminars and one underwriting management forum per year.

The 1975 class had 9 graduates, all achieving the FALU designation by writing a project paper.  1981 was the first year one could earn a FALU by passing the third exam.  In 1994, we passed the 500 FALU mark and in 2007 we designated our 1,000th Fellow.  

There have been 12 past chairs of the Education Committee beginning with Art Taylor in 1974.  The others are Ben Currier (1977), Bill Phillips (1980), Bob Hale (1983), Dale Johnson (1987), Joe Dahl (1990), Barb Lutz (1993), Gloria Flattum (1996), Roland Paradis (1999), Brian Pray (2002), Marty Meyer (2005) and Lee Janecek (2008).