Louis A. Simpson to Discuss ‘Corporate America’ at Ohio Wesleyan University
Louis A. Simpson
DELAWARE, OHIO – Investment adviser Louis A. Simpson, a 1958 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, will return to his alma mater Oct. 3 to present “Corporate America – to rent or to own?” Simpson, founder of the Florida-based investment-advisory firm SQ Advisors LLC, previously managed a multibillion-dollar portfolio for GEICO, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Simpson will speak at 8 p.m. Oct. 3 in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. His presentation is part of Ohio Wesleyan’s annual Robert L. Milligan Leaders in Business Lecture Series. The event is free, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis.
During the event, Simpson will be awarded an honorary doctorate from the university in recognition of his significant contributions in the field of economics. Simpson was a double major in economics and accounting at Ohio Wesleyan, and he remains active with the university, including serving as an annual giving volunteer.
“I am pleased to be returning to the Ohio Wesleyan campus to speak and eager to spend time with students,” Simpson said. “The OWU economics program helped to prepare me for my career, and I am confident it is doing the same for the current generation. I look forward to hearing the students’ insights and answering their questions.”
In May, he created The Louis A. Simpson ’58 Endowed Faculty Director of The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship with a $2 million commitment to Ohio Wesleyan. Established in 1985, the Woltemade Center works to enhance teaching, learning, research, and community service at the university, with its primary focus as the Department of Economics and the fields of economics, finance, marketing, management, entrepreneurship, accounting, and international business. The center provides scholarship, research, and networking opportunities for students, including the highly competitive Economics Management Fellows program.
Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones, Ph.D., said the university is proud to present Simpson with an honorary degree, its highest form of recognition. Simpson previously was awarded an OWU Distinguished Alumni Citation in acknowledgment of his “exceptional career as a business leader in the field of financial investments and money management.”
“Lou Simpson is an exceptional person,” Jones said. “He is a successful businessman, accomplished scholar, and loyal friend. Ohio Wesleyan is pleased to welcome him to campus to receive an honorary doctoral degree and to hear his insights as he presents the 2013 Milligan Leaders in Business Lecture. The venue is fitting as Lou, indeed, is a leader and positive role model for all of us.”
Prior to founding SQ Advisors with his wife, Kimberly Querrey, Simpson served from 1993 to 2010 as president and chief executive officer of capital operations for GEICO, a subsidiary of Warren E. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. From 1985 to 1993, Simpson served as GEICO’s vice chairman of the board. He joined GEICO in 1979, coming from Western Asset Management, a subsidiary of California-based Western Bancorporation. In addition to his Ohio Wesleyan undergraduate degree, Simpson holds a master’s degree in economics from Princeton University, where he also served on the faculty.
Ohio Wesleyan’s Milligan Leaders in Business Lecture Series is presented each year by the Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship. The series was created in 1992 with an endowment from Robert L. “Bill” Milligan, OWU Class of 1922, and his wife, Mary Cook Milligan, Honorary OWU Alumna 2002, both deceased. Learn more about the Woltemade Center and the Milligan Lecture Series at https://www.owu.edu/academics/departments-programs/department-of-economics/the-woltemade-center/. Learn more about contributing to the university at https://www.owu.edu/alumni-and-friends/give-to-owu/make-a-gift/.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities. Ohio Wesleyan offers more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. OWU combines an internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that connect classroom theory with real-world practice. Located in Delaware, Ohio, OWU’s 1,850 students represent 41 states and 45 countries. The university 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 on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.