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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1




                                [RGA LETTERHEAD]




                                                For further information, contact
                                                Jack B. Lay
                                                Executive Vice President and
                                                Chief Financial Officer
                                                636/736-7439

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

     REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE AMENDMENT CONVERTING
                NON-VOTING COMMON STOCK INTO VOTING COMMON STOCK

         St. Louis, Missouri, September 14, 1999 -- Reinsurance Group of
America, Incorporated (NYSE: RGA, RGA.A) announced today that its shareholders
have approved an amendment to its Restated Articles of Incorporation that
converts all of RGA's Non-Voting Common Stock into Voting Common Stock. Under
the amendment, each share of RGA's Non-Voting Common Stock is automatically
converted into 0.97 shares of its Voting Common Stock with a cash payment made
in lieu of fractional shares. The conversion is effective immediately upon
filing the Articles of Amendment to the Restated Articles with the Secretary of
State of the State of Missouri, which is expected to take place later today.
After the conversion, the company will have approximately 45.1 million shares of
Voting Common Stock outstanding.
         Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated, through its subsidiaries,
RGA Reinsurance Company and RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada, is among the
largest providers of life reinsurance in North America. In addition to its North
American operations, Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated has subsidiary
companies or branch offices in Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Chile,
Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Spain, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Worldwide,
the Company has nearly $391 billion of life reinsurance in force. General
American Life Insurance Company owns approximately 53 percent of outstanding
shares.







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