Man of steel
As a young man, Jim Bouchard (BBA ’84) needed a flexible school that would also keep him motivated. Loyola was there for him. Now, with a gift of $250,000 to the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Bouchard is giving future students the same chance.
In 1981, Bouchard returned to Chicago from the University of San Diego after his father passed away. He was out of money and financing options, but Loyola’s University College, now known as the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, was a viable opportunity. “I needed to go out and get a job,” says Bouchard. “Taking continuing education classes was a way for me to work and pay for my education simultaneously.”
In working a full-time job while finishing a degree, Bouchard followed in his father’s footsteps. “He put himself through night school,” says Bouchard. “He had a wife and seven kids and didn’t finish with school until he was 41 or 42. He ended up becoming very successful.”
Bouchard has also followed his father’s example in that respect. He devoted himself to learning everything he could about the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of steel. In 2003, Bouchard and his brother, Craig, founded Esmark Inc., which would become one of the largest steel companies in the country. After selling Esmark in 2008, Bouchard purchased the Esmark name back and has taken the company private again, with a focus on domestic oil and gas production. In 2007, Bouchard received the Damen Award from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
For Bouchard, the lessons learned at Loyola went beyond business training. “I didn’t expect my theology and philosophy classes to have such a big impact on me,” he says. “I took a lot of these classes and they helped broaden my perspective; I think that played a major role in my business success.” He credits a holistic education with teaching him how to work in a team environment, how to be an effective manager, and the importance of establishing a philanthropic strategy. “I try to acknowledge the institutions that got me where I am today, and I also want to break down barriers so that others will have the opportunities that I had.”
Bouchard’s gift to Loyola’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies is about helping people who need a leg up. “There are folks out there who are like me or like my father,” says Bouchard, who is now on the Board of Trustees. “They’re going to need financial assistance to help them finish those degrees.” With a matching gift of $250,000 from Loyola President Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., the $500,000 James P. and Carolyn K. Bouchard Endowed Scholarship Fund will help many students finish their degrees and advance in their careers.
Jeffrey Rosen, PhD, dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, says that this gift will be especially helpful to adult students who are working while pursuing their degrees. With this generous gift, Bouchard and Loyola have partnered to provide dedicated, nontraditional students with the opportunities that both Bouchard and his father enjoyed. As an example of how education can hone talent and ability, Bouchard provides students with both support and inspiration.