From Skid Row Bar to Indiana Athletics

Today’s Guest Expert: Fred Glass

Fred Glass

Fred Glass is a prominent Indianapolis attorney and civic leader who served as Indiana University’s athletic director for nearly twelve years where he led a cultural and physical rebuild of the athletic department including record-setting academic, athletic, fundraising, fiscal management, and facility successes. He is also a self-described “knucklehead” who details in his new book, Making Your Own Luck: From a Skid Row Bar to Rebuilding Indiana University Athletics, how he learned to recognize and seize opportunities to help make his own luck through life. Growing up in a skid row bar, having an alcoholic father, struggling with anxiety and self-doubt, and making his share of stupid mistakes, Glass had much to contend with early in life. However, supported by socially enlightened parents, a Jesuit education, and his soulmate Barbara, his odyssey led him to serve a mayor, a governor, a senator, a president, help lead a major law firm, and rebuild Indiana University as its athletic director.

3 Top Takeaways: From Skid Row Bar to Indiana Athletics with Fred Glass

When you have 2 opportunities, always take the one with the most future opportunity
It’s not what you hear, it is what you do
Money takes care of itself if you focus on the opportunity
A big slugger is just a little slugger that kept slugging
Don’t think about the end, just focus on what is next