Non-Actuarial Pursuits of Casualty Actuaries

He played that old time rock and roll
by Brian D. Haney

I spoke the other day with an FCAS who had one of the most interesting paths to "actuary-hood" that I have ever heard.

It was the late 1960’s. when loud music was the thing and bands sprung up overnight to play Rolling Stones and Beatles’ covers to people packed in bars all over the country. A young man, a future FCAS, dropped out of Loyola to get away from the Dean of Men who repeatedly confronted him to tell him to get a haircut. His solution was to join a rock-and-roll band.

He played six nights a week for six hours in a bar called the Peppermint Lounge in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C. Although he could play a six-string guitar, he played bass guitar because it was easier. It was so easy he once fell asleep in the middle of a slow song and didn’t miss a note!

It isn’t surprising that he would be musically inclined because it runs in his family. Readers who remember the music from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s are sure to remember the band "Orleans," whose founder was this actuary’s brother. For those of you less familiar with this era in mu-sic, Orleans recorded "Dance With Me" and "You’re Still the One."

After a semester of playing at the Peppermint Lounge, this actuary finally decided that a 9-to-5 job was preferable. He joined USF&G, enrolled in evening college courses, got married, had kids, and the rest is actuaria1 history. And although his brother makes more money off royalties from "Dance With Me" and "You’re Still the One" than the actuary does by being an actuary, he doesn’t regret his decision to "get a day job."

If you think this actuary has an interesting story, then catch up with Jim Hall the next time you’re at a CAS meeting, and ask him about it yourself.

Brian D. Haney, ACAS, enjoys lis-tening to other CAS members talk about their non-actuarial pursuits.