Patrick Crowe, ‘70, is still active as a consultant in the industry where he spent his entire career, as an actuary for farm bureau insurance companies across the country.
 

After being a regular donor to NIU, he established the Patrick J. Crowe B.S. `70, Scholarship Fund in 2024. The scholarship aids third- and/or fourth-year NIU undergraduate students majoring in mathematics or actuarial science who demonstrate academic merit and financial need.

“This is to provide students with a college education, which is fantastic,” he said. “The best thing I can do for young people is to help them with their education.”

Crowe, who grew up in Chicago, took courses at St. Bede Junior College in Peru, Illinois, before attending NIU because it was close to home and affordable.

“I’ve always had a love for mathematics since I was in the second grade,” he said. 

Shortly after beginning his NIU tenure, however, Crowe was given a military draft notice in the fall of 1965 during the height of the Vietnam War. He decided to enlist as a U.S. Marine.

“I always wanted to be a Marine, but I wanted to do it on my terms, so I enlisted in the Marines,” he said.

After three-plus years, he got out of the Marines in January 1969 and re-enrolled in NIU with the goal of finishing his degree in a year and a half.

Crowe and a friend from Chicago drove up to NIU and eventually shared an off-campus apartment with another old friend for the duration of their time in school. 

“We met up with an old friend we went to grade school with who’d just gotten out of the Army,” he said. “We got an apartment – two of them shared the bedroom and I slept on a cot in the living room – and we all had a year and a half until we graduated.”

Crowe didn’t have much time for extracurriculars, as he was working hard trying to finish his degree. Although he said that at the time there was a veteran’s club on campus where he and other fellow military veterans would hang out. 

“Majoring in math and minoring in physics was a full-time job,” he said. “I was taking 18 hours in classes because I wanted to get through school in a year and a half. I just worked very hard, and I never went home on weekends because I was working on projects. I had to do it the hard way.”

After graduation, he worked at CNA Insurance as an actuary trainee. He worked there for four years, where he specialized in property and casualty insurance. After four years, he decided that he wanted to work for a smaller firm.

“I decided, I don’t want to be a small cheese in a big company, I want to be a big cheese in a small company,” he said. 

After leaving CNA, he worked for the Illinois Farm Bureau insurance company in Bloomington for four years, doing actuarial work for farm bureaus across the country. One of his larger accounts was the Kentucky Farm Bureau. 

In 1979, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to become the chief actuary of the Kentucky Farm Bureau insurance company. He’s lived in Kentucky ever since. 

Since retiring in 2007, Crowe has offered his consulting services to farm bureau insurance companies nationwide. He still has two clients that he services regularly. He is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries, a certified enterprise risk actuary and an associate in risk management.

“I guess I’m a workaholic, but I don’t like that word, because I love what I do,” he said. “Actuarial science is my hobby. It’s not work to me.”

Crowe recommends to young people to find something they are skilled at and enjoy, and they will have a successful career. He also cites his strong faith.

“I tell young people, follow your strengths,” he said. “Everyone’s got gifts, but you have to pray or the Holy Spirit can't guide you.”

In retirement, while he still works hard, he enjoys spending time with his two children and five grandsons. He's also active in providing funeral honors for military veterans.

Crowe encourages his fellow Huskies to give back to their communities and to their alma mater.

“With an NIU education, you can come back to your community and contribute to it,” he said. “We have many NIU graduates who have done incredible things.”

For more information on being a philanthropic Huskie, click here!