- In 1992, the Walker College was the first institution in the state to offer an insurance major. The Richard S. Brantley Risk and Insurance Center had been established in 1988.
- The Joseph F. Freeman Professorship in insurance became the first fully funded endowed professorship in the college. The first endowed faculty chair was established in Commercial Banking in the college in 1977. The professorship was established by the Freeman family and friends and colleagues in the insurance industry in memory of the late Joseph (Joe) F. Freeman III. His father, Joseph F. Freeman Jr., is a retired insurance agent and a member emeritus of the Walker College of Business Advisory Council and the Appalachian State University Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Dave Wood held the Freeman Professorship from 1995 until 2016. Dr. Lori Medders currently holds the Freeman Professorship. By 2021, there would be 14 professorships in the college, each with an aim to retain top faculty talent at Appalachian and ensure students receive the best possible education. Often named in honor of significant benefactors to the college, each professorship recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding performance in instruction, scholarship and service, while serving as a positive role model for students. Read professorship news.
- The Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC) became one of the Brantley Center's founding strategic partners.
