Maxwell professor Arthur Brooks named to Bantle Chair in Business and Government Policy

Maxwell professor Arthur Brooks named to Bantle Chair in Business and Government PolicyAugust 27, 2007Jill Leonhardtjlleonha@maxwell.syr.edu

Public administration professor Arthur Brooks has assumed the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business and Government Policy at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, according to Maxwell Dean Mitchel Wallerstein.

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Arthur Brooks to the Bantle Chair in Business and Government Policy,” says Wallerstein. “Arthur’s unique combination of research interests, and especially his focus on social entrepreneurship, as well as his engagement in the community and public intellectual activities, make him a most worthy appointee to this position. Concurrent with his new primary appointment in the Maxwell School, Arthur has also been appointed to the faculty of the Whitman School of Management, thereby enabling the holder of the Bantle Chair to function for the first time as a bridge between the two schools regarding the policy nexus between business and government. As provided under the terms of the chair, Professor Brooks also will be able to organize a major annual symposium that focuses on issues of concern to both business and government.”

Brooks, who has also served as director of Maxwell’s Nonprofit Studies Program, joined the school’s faculty in 2001. He has published more than 60 scholarly articles and books on the connections between government, business and nonprofits in America, and is a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal and CondE Nast Portfolio. He speaks frequently throughout the United States on culture, politics and economic life, and is a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. His provocative 2006 book about American charity, “Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism” (Basic Books), won praise from scholars and reviewers alike. He has recently completed two new books slated for release in 2008: “Gross National Happiness” and the textbook “Social Entrepreneurship.”

The Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business and Government Policy was established in 1990 by Louis F. Bantle and UST Inc. and provides for teaching and research in business and government relations. In his capacity as holder of the Bantle Chair, Brooks will seek to expand the popular and intellectual profiles of the Maxwell and Whitman schools, interacting with other top academic institutions and think tanks, and writing and speaking publicly on the leading issues facing business and government policy. According to Brooks, “The Bantle Chair is an ideal vehicle to practice the Scholarship in Action mission of Maxwell, Whitman and Syracuse University — exploring how scholarly ideas can truly have an effect on popular discourse and make a positive impact on our economy and society. I am thrilled to have this opportunity and deeply grateful to the Bantle family for making it possible.”

Among the previous holders of the Bantle Chair are retired Gen. Montgomery Meigs (USA) and Sean O’Keefe, chancellor of Louisiana State University and former administrator of NASA.