The University of Dallas Board of Trustees announced today the selection of the University’s eighth president, Thomas W. Keefe, J.D. Mr. Keefe is scheduled to assume the presidency March 1, 2010.

With a Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas College of Law and Bachelor of Arts from Benedictine College, Mr. Keefe has spent more than 20 years in higher education, most recently serving as the vice president of Advancement at Saint Louis University. At St. Louis University, a highly regarded Jesuit institution with over 13,000 students, Mr. Keefe served as a key member of the presidential council, exhibiting strategic leadership particularly related to alumni relations and development as well as in the overall marketing and positioning of the University to all outside constituencies. He is a nationally recognized expert and speaker in the field of donor cultivation having direct involvement and/or a leadership role in generating more than $500 million in gifts and grants for institutions he has served.

“We are pleased to have Tom Keefe join us as the eighth president of the University,” said O. D. Cruse, Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees. “Tom’s background and his enthusiastic endorsement of our Catholic identity, our values, vision and mission provide us with an exciting leader consistent with our recognized acclaim as a leader of liberal learning and a model of ethical practiced-based professional education.”

“I am honored to have been selected as president of the University of Dallas,” said Mr. Keefe. “The University has long been recognized as one of the best Catholic universities in the nation; known for its high academic standards and unique programs. I am looking forward to working with the Trustees, faculty, staff, students and alumni in achieving the University’s goals and strategic initiatives as we build on the strong relationships and reputation we have as well as foster new relationships in the Dallas-Fort Worth community and across the nation.”

Mr. Keefe became the vice president for Advancement at Saint Louis University in 2005, where he was responsible for substantially increasing the annual giving, heading fundraising efforts for a new building and sports arena, a $300 million capital campaign, and restructuring the Alumni, Development and University Relations areas to better support the University’s needs. He has also served as the president of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Foundation as well as the executive director of the school’s Advancement department.

During his career, Mr. Keefe has also worked with the Catholic Aid Association Foundation in St. Paul, MN, the University of St. Thomas’ Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, Francis Marion Drake Society at Drake University, and practiced law with Children’s Legal Rights in Washington, D.C. He has published numerous articles on legal and social justice issues, fundraising and donor cultivation.

An Iowa native, Mr. Keefe has been married to Suzanne for 21 years. They have a daughter, Margaret, a sophomore at American University in Washington, D.C., and a son, Morgan, a junior at Saint Louis University Prep High School.