Jim Caswell ('63, '66, '70)

Jim Caswell Endowment for Leadership Development and Training

Senior Daniel Liu recalls that the late Jim Caswell ('63, '66, '70) defined leadership as "a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals toward a common goal."

SMU's former vice president for student affairs spoke from years of experience, with the goal of serving SMU students, says Liu, a student leader and representative on the Board of Trustees Student Affairs committee. "Dr. Caswell taught me to dream big and to believe in people. His life in itself was perhaps one of the greatest examples of what it means to be a leader."

Caswell, who died in October at age 66, spent nearly five decades at SMU as a student, teacher and administrator until his retirement in May 2007, touching the lives of an estimated 40,000 students and winning numerous honors. Now his legacy is being honored with a gift to nurture future campus leaders: the Jim Caswell Endowment for Leadership Development and Training.

The endowment supports innovative leadership training, internships and mentoring opportunities within the Division of Student Affairs, including LeaderShape, a program Caswell brought to SMU in 2004 that takes 30 students to Bridgeport, Texas, in May for a six-day retreat on leading with integrity. The endowment also supports leadership and career development courses within the academic curriculum.

"Jim Caswell believed in all of the ways our students experience leadership - from student organizations to residence halls to the Board of Trustees to the classroom," says Arlene Manthey, the Student Affairs development officer who worked with Caswell for more than 20 years. "This endowment will enhance these numerous opportunities. Dr. Caswell believed in our students' ability to do extraordinary things."

To learn about supporting the Jim Caswell Endowment for Leadership Development and Training, please contact Arlene Manthey at 214-768-4711 or amanthey@smu.edu.