Ensuring – and insuring – a healthy future for students
May 4, 2026 — Ramsey-Weeks is a fourth-generation family business that’s provided real estate and insurance services in the Grinnell community for over 100 years. The agency has managed Grinnell College’s comprehensive insurance needs since the 1950s.
“As a small business, the long-term relationship with the College is extremely important to our agency,” said Jim Ramsey, who serves as principal of Ramsey Weeks along with Darcy Swick. “We look for ways to give back to the College and show that appreciation.”
To honor the enduring connection, Ramsey-Weeks recently committed to give $75,000 to support Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) at Grinnell College. The designation was inspired by the student health care policy, a long-running service offered in partnership with the agency.
Jim Ramsey and Darcy Swick, co-principles of Ramsey-Weeks, are pictured on the left and center. Beth Pearlman, dean for health and wellness at Grinnell College, is on the right.
Ramsey-Weeks staff have worked closely with SHAW through the years to coordinate coverage for student care. What started out back in the 1950s as a simple accident policy has grown to full medical insurance coverage. Because of its affordability and ample coverage, the plan is utilized by many international and domestic students.
The suggestion to use the gift to support ongoing health and wellness work resonated with Ramsey and Swick right away. Beth Perlman, dean for health and wellness at the College, shared her gratitude for the generosity of the agency and its ongoing connection to Grinnell.
“I’m continuously reminded that wellness does not happen in isolation; it flourishes through community,” she says. “Support from local family businesses like Ramsey-Weeks represents a powerful, shared investment in our students’ well-being, and it reflects to students that they are valued members of the broader Grinnell community.”
The Ramsey Insurance Agency was in the 800 block of Broad Street in the 1950s as shown on the left. On the right is the current location at 715 5th Ave.
Ramsey-Weeks gave its first large gift to the College over 15 years ago to commemorate the agency’s long history. That $50,000 donation endowed a summer internship fund. Designed to support business-focused students, it helps with travel, housing, and other costs for at least one opportunity every summer. “It seemed appropriate to do something pretty big again,” Ramsey says about the new gift.
As is often the case in a small town, the connection between the College and Ramsey-Weeks is much more than a business relationship. Jim Ramsey’s great-grandfather moved to Iowa from Vermont to sell buggies and sent his three girls (including Jim’s grandmother) to Grinnell College in the late 1920s. After his grandfather passed away, his grandmother worked for a number of years as the administrative assistant in the office of the College’s Department of Fine Arts.
Jim Ramsey’s father and predecessor, Rick Ramsey, helped coordinate the former Town and Gown campaign for several years. The program, geared to encourage community members and businesses to engage with, and financially support the College, always kicked off with a grand picnic. Jim was involved as well when he first moved back to Grinnell in 1998.
Fred Ramsey, Jim’s grandfather, and Les Duke 1925, former Grinnell College cross country and track coach, go over some paperwork in this mid-1950s photo.
Several people who have worked at Ramsey-Weeks have a direct connection to the College as graduates and spouses of employees. Staff from both places often serve alongside each other in the broader community, as members of the local Chamber of Commerce or serving on nonprofit boards like the public library.
The College’s decision to have Ramsey-Weeks provide their insurance needs has had a lasting impact. Insurance has changed since the 1950s, and as the College’s campus and budget have grown, so has the complexity of its requirements. Jim Ramsey is proud that his small family agency has been able to adapt and continue to meet the need. The College benefits from working with a local provider that prioritizes relationships and understands its context, he says.
“Having grown up in the community, I know the College makes Grinnell what it is in so many ways,” Ramsey says. “It makes such a vital impact economically and invites community members to concerts and athletic events, most of which are free. We really appreciate the value of the College on top of our business relationship.”
—by Kim Kobersmith