Spotlight: Alumnus Jim Bennett

James Dever Bennett, Esq. ’82 is as good a friend as any university could hope for. “I would not be where I am without Holy Family,” said Bennett, who works for global higher education software company Ellucian as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “I’m happy to serve the University in any way I can.”

It was Bennett’s mother who suggested he apply for an academic scholarship. She was a stay-at-home mom raising five children, while Bennett’s father worked as a schoolteacher. Holy Family was around the corner from their home, and Bennett knew that with a full-tuition scholarship, he could save the money he earned from part-time and summer jobs to pay for law school.

While his experience on the debate team at Lincoln High School steered him toward a career in law, he says the four years he spent at Holy Family, and the extraordinary professors who guided him along the way, are what shaped him.

“What’s unique about Holy Family is the level of interaction between students and professors,” said Bennett. “One of my professors, Dr. Thomas Lombardi, became my mentor. He’s like a second father to me. He and his wife took me under their wings. The same was true of many of my professors. It was such an enriching experience.”

After graduating cum laude with a BA in English, Bennett enrolled at the Villanova University School of Law. His search for a summer internship led him back to another Holy Family professor, Marion Ahrens Von Rosenstiel, for an introduction to her husband. Werner Von Rosenstiel was a prominent attorney who served as a translator at the Nuremberg Trials. Bennett landed the clerkship.

He stayed connected to Holy Family over the years through enduring friendships with his professors and campus visits to attend basketball games with his father. It was more recently that his involvement intensified. The catalyst was a note he penned to University President Sister Maureen McGarrity, enclosed with his pledge check, that read, “If there is anything I can do for the school, please let me know.” She invited him to meet with her.

Today, Bennett serves as Chair of the President’s Advisory Council. He co-chaired the 2020 Tigers on the Loose campaign, raising critical financial aid funding for students. And in the fall, he will join the University’s Board of Trustees.