Thomas W. Keefe, J.D. began his term as the eighth president of the University of Dallas on March 1, 2010.

 

President Keefe believes firmly that a liberal education is integral to humanity and human culture and that it is vitally important to the survival and flourishing of American and Western civilization. President Keefe was drawn to UD by the academic rigor and the enthusiastic Catholic fidelity found here, which know no parallel. Under President Keefe’s leadership, UD has enjoyed its largest freshman classes in school history for the last two years. In the fall of 2010, 376 new freshmen enrolled at the university – including 24 National Merit Finalists. In the fall of 2011, 371 new freshmen enrolled – including 22 National Merit Finalists. Currently 60 National Merit Finalists are enrolled at the University of Dallas—the most per capita of any Catholic institution in the country. Alumni have won 36 Fulbright Awards in our 56-year history.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in History from Benedictine College in Kansas, President Keefe earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law and worked in the legal field for 10 years before realizing his call to work in higher education. President Keefe has spent more than 20 years in higher education, most recently serving as the vice president of advancement at Saint Louis University. During his career, he has also worked with the Catholic Aid Association Foundation in St. Paul, Minn., the University of St. Thomas’ Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, Drake University. He has published numerous articles on legal and social justice issues, fundraising, and donor cultivation.