ATLANTA, September 1999 -- Muriel Crawford, JD, FLMI, CLU, ChFC, CEBS, author of Life and Health Insurance Law, will receive the prestigious FLMI Insurance Education Award at LOMA’s Annual Conference & FLMI Conferment in San Diego September 26-28. The annual award recognizes individuals who make valuable contributions to LOMA's FLMI Program and to insurance industry education as a whole.

Crawford’s book has been used for many years in the FLMI Program and is recognized universally as a standard reference on insurance law. This text and its predecessor, Law and the Life Insurance Contract, have been used to educate students of life and health insurance for more than forty years.

In announcing Crawford’s election, King Mawhinney, FLMI, CLU, ACS, ChFC, chairman of LOMA’s Education Council and vice president, life/annuity sales, USAA Life, stated, "Muriel is an outstanding person who represents everything this award is designed to recognize. She served as associate general counsel and secretary, Washington National Insurance Company, and has been a major contributor to LOMA’s educational activities for some twenty years. Her contributions to the industry are enormous."

William H. Rabel, Ph.D., FLMI, CLU, senior vice president of LOMA’s Education Division, recalls how Crawford came to write Life and Health Insurance Law. "In the early 1980s, Muriel was serving on the examinations panel for the FLMI law course. At that time the textbook was co-authored by Janice E. Greider, LL.B., CLU, Counsel, State Farm Life & Accident Assurance Co., and by Dr. William T. Beadles, Professor of Insurance, Illinois Wesleyan University. Ms. Greider had recently died, and Dr. Beadles was emeritus at his institution.

"Muriel began to assemble a large number of ideas for improving the textbook and shared them with the examinations committee and LOMA’s staff. Everyone agreed that the ideas would

greatly enhance the book and recommended that she submit them to Bill Beadles for inclusion. Dr. Beadles was so impressed with her work that he invited her to serve as co-author.

"Muriel rapidly embarked on the project and demonstrated a natural talent as an author. Not only did she update sections that had become inaccurate due to changes in the law, but she also added new chapters and sections on topics that go beyond the life insurance contract and the law of agency. Among them are advertising, privacy, employment, and securities law. She transformed the course to focus on business law, which more effectively met the needs of LOMA’s students than did the previous course. Over the years she has put her stamp on it so completely that she now is credited as sole author," Rabel said.

Crawford took early retirement from Washington National in 1989 and moved to San Francisco with her husband, Barry, who had just retired from his job as a senior partner in Arthur Andersen & Co. Since that time she has continued to serve on the LOMA examinations panel, paying her way to all the meetings. Furthermore, she has continued to update the textbook and to provide pro bono counsel on curriculum matters to LOMA.

Upon hearing that she had been selected for the FLMI award, Crawford expressed her appreciation to LOMA’s Education Council. "I have really enjoyed working with LOMA, first on the examinations panel for the law course and later on the book. I would strongly recommend that people in the industry get involved with LOMA committees. It is a great opportunity to learn, as well as to give something back to the industry."

LOMA President Tom Donaldson, FLMI, CLU, expressed his appreciation for Crawford’s contributions. "On behalf of the industry, I want to thank Muriel for all she has done to develop an understanding of the law among our employees. From compliance to contracts, legal issues are the ones that put companies at risk more than any others. Undoubtedly she has saved companies millions of dollars by providing education on the legal fundamentals that keep them out of trouble. She serves as a wonderful example for others to follow."