Preview
Award Date
2019
Award Description
Ed Rust Jr. is the retired chairman and CEO of State Farm Insurance Company. He was president and chief executive officer of State Farm from 1985 until 2015. Upon his retirement, the State Farm Mutual Board designated him Chairman Emeritus. Rust is a nationally recognized leader who has worked to improve the quality of education in the United States. He earned a juris doctor degree and a master of business degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He serves on the Board of Directors of Illinois Wesleyan University; Caterpillar, Inc.; S&P Global; and Helmerick and Payne, Inc. He was actively involved in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Financial Services Roundtable; American Enterprise Institute; National Alliance of Business; Business-Higher Education Forum; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; and the Illinois Business Roundtable. He served a year as Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and was Vice Chairman of the Business Roundtable for seven years, chairing its Education and Civil Justice task forces. As an Illinois Wesleyan trustee, Rust has led the partnership between State Farm and IWU to provide a robust student scholarship program as well as supporting multiple capital projects, most notably, State Farm Hall. State Farm and Illinois Wesleyan have enjoyed a strong relationship built upon education and professional development.