Tom Smith Holds Endowed Chair

Tom Smith of the Hope College faculty holds the Dr. Leon A. Bosch '29 Professorship in Business Management.

The chair is designated for an outstanding member of the faculty in the department of economics, management and accounting who has a strong interest in management and organizational development. It was established through the estate of Virginia French Bosch in memory of her husband, Dr. Leon A. Bosch '29.

Dr. Leon Bosch, who died on Dec. 22, 2003, was a professor at the Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University for 45 years, including 10 years as associate dean. He was on the college's Board of Trustees for 20 years, and was instrumental in recruiting Dr. Gordon J. Van Wylen as Hope's ninth president in the early 1970s. Virginia Bosch, who died on July 24, 2005, had been active in community organizations and as a volunteer as the couple lived in Illinois, California and Holland.

Smith, who has been a member of the Hope faculty since 1993, had previously been promoted to full professor from associate professor starting with the new school year. From 2001 through the spring of 2005 he also served as coach of the women's golf team. During Homecoming at Hope in the fall of 2005 the student body presented him with the college's 10th annual "Favorite Faculty/Staff Member" award.

His research interests include the strategic use of operations management, and the incorporation of biblical principles in management theory and practice. He has had articles in publications including the "Journal of Operations Management," the "International Journal of Production Research," the "Journal of Biblical Integration in Business," "Christian Higher Education" and the "Sporting News," and has an article forthcoming in the "Christian Business Academy Review."

For the past few years he has also been working with Herman Miller Inc., primarily facilitating workshops for their Leadership Development Program.

Smith completed his Bachelor of Business Administration degree at the University of Michigan in 1980, his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Iowa in 1983 and his doctorate in business administration at the University of Michigan in 1994. Prior to joining the Hope faculty he had held a variety of management positions with Data General Corporation and had served as an internal manufacturing consultant with both EDS Corporation and the Ford Motor Company.

He joined the Hope faculty as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 1999.

Endowed chairs are established by donors who wish to assist the college on a permanent basis through the support of a faculty member. The gift is placed in the college's endowment fund with investment income used to support the work of the honored professor. In addition to recognizing faculty members for excellence, endowed chairs provide funding for summer research projects as well as some salary support.

Learn more about establishing an endowed professorship