Jim Towey

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Jim Towey

Nationality American
Education B.S. and J.D.
Alma mater Florida State University
Occupation President of Saint Vincent College

Jim Towey was assistant to the President of the United States, and former director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives from 2002 to May 2006. He is currently president of Saint Vincent College, a small Catholic school in Pennsylvania.

Contents

[edit] Early Life and Education

He is a graduate of Florida State University and its law school, earning both his Bachelor of Science (1978) and Juris Doctor (1981) degrees from the university.

[edit] Career

Towey served as one of the legal counsels in the United States to Mother Teresa of Calcutta for 12 years -- which he is glad to tell you about whenever the opportunity arises -- specializing in immigrant affairs. In 1990 he lived as a full-time volunteer in her home for people with AIDS in Washington, D.C. As her attorney, he helped to ensure people were not using Mother Teresa's name to raise money without her permission, assisted in establishing AIDS clinics and homeless shelters, and coordinated immigration matters for her nuns. He says the experiences motivated him to establish the non-profit organization Aging with Dignity in 1996. The group's Five Wishes document, called "the living will with a heart and soul",[1] is distributed by more than 15,000 organizations. More than 11 million documents have been distributed worldwide.[1]

He served as senior advisor to U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Oregon) for ten years, and as director of Florida's health and human services agency under Gov. Lawton Chiles (D).

He is currently the president of Saint Vincent College, a small liberal arts school in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. During his tenure, he has attracted two high-profile commencement speakers: President George W. Bush and Mike Tomlin, coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, his tenure has been very controversial within the college community. Two dozen faculty members and administrators have left the college, reportedly due to his aggressive and intimidating style of management. Additionally, three quarters of the school's tenured faculty signed a letter stating that Towey has damaged the academic integrity of the school and created a "crisis" on campus.

Towey is a Roman Catholic and member of the Knights of Columbus.[2] He and his wife Mary have five children. Pope John Paul II presented him with a Papal Cross on September 5, 2000, on the third anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Silva, Mark, "Living Will With Heart Now Available," The Miami Herald, 7/24/1997
  2. ^ according to an August 3 2004 speech President George W. Bush made at the 122nd Knights of Columbus Convention in Dallas.

[edit] External links

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Preceded by
John DiIulio Jr.		 Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
February 1, 2002–May 31, 2006		 Succeeded by
Jay Hein