Thom Jackson | Alumni

An Envelope and an Opportunity

Over the course of his lifetime, Thom Jackson ’82 has been no stranger to professional success. He’s owned and led a business specializing in innovative educational services. He’s provided legal oversight for high-profile portfolio companies. He’s guided the turn-around of a struggling charity care hospital. More recently, he’s even taken on the role of assistant pastor at his local church.

But despite his diverse accomplishments as an executive strategist and leader, Jackson chooses to measure his life by generosity rather than achievement. “I’ve always believed that the value of your life is more than just your career,” he says. “It’s about your responsibility to give generously of your time, talent and resources.”

Jackson traces this perspective back to his upbringing in southwest Ohio and an unexpected envelope that changed the trajectory of his life.

The Field Trip

While all of his high school friends were making plans to attend the nearby state university, Jackson found himself drawn to the possibility of a smaller, more traditional campus environment. His assistant band coach at the time happened to be a DePauw alum, and when he found out about Jackson’s interest, he proposed an idea: taking Jackson with him on a field trip to visit his alma mater.

“My mother was a single mom of five kids,” explains Jackson. “We lived in public housing and moved just about every six months, because she had to choose between rent and food. So she was delighted to have someone take an interest in making sure I went to a good school. She said yes to the idea, and we drove down on a Friday morning to campus.”

Immediately, he was hooked. After touring East College, watching students rushing to class and peeking in on an economics seminar bursting with dialogue, Jackson had just one question.

“I turned to my band coach, and I said, ‘Okay, so how much does this cost?’ When he gave me the number, I said, ‘Well, that’s not happening.’ But he encouraged me to apply anyway and said, ‘You just never know what a school like this can do.’”

Jackson took his advice. An answer arrived in the mailbox not long after.

“I remember when the envelope came. It was thick. First was the congratulations letter, and second was the offer of the financial aid package. At that point, I realized that this could really happen. Everything else just disappeared in my mind.”

A Man on a Mission

Once he arrived on campus, Jackson got to work. He sang in the choir; he studied abroad in Europe; he worked in the admission office; he served in student government; he was the vice president of the Association of African American Students; he went to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers about proposed cuts to college funding programs. Through it all, Jackson grew into a leader and an advocate for some of the most meaningful causes.

“One of the things that you have the opportunity to do at DePauw is develop your leadership skills. Through the various organizations, there’s so much that you can learn. The resources are just extraordinary, and the lessons really do carry you through your career and your life.”

Jackson has remained mission-driven ever since. While working on his law degree at the University of Cincinnati, he partnered with the ACLU chapter to counteract harmful stop-and-frisk laws in the city. After moving to Chicago, he helped launch a tenants’ bill of rights and successfully legislated against landlords who refused to remove lead paint from their buildings. And in New Jersey, he served as chairman of the board for a hospital that provided care to underserved populations in Newark, taking it from a deficit of $40 million to a place of sound fiscal footing.

Jackson doesn’t get caught up in all those accomplishments, however. He’s simply grateful for the opportunity he’s had to give.

“I’ve felt an urgency wherever God has put me,” says Jackson. “I found so many organizations needed leadership, so many needed time and energy to move their initiatives forward. And I have to tell you, sometimes that was more rewarding than a paycheck.”

Full Circle

Currently, Jackson serves on the advisory board for the School of Business and Leadership, one of many roles he’s taken over the years to support the ongoing mission of DePauw. Inspired by countless mentors who helped him along the way, he now sees an opportunity to leave his own mark on the university and the students who call it home. “It’s really about being there for the students just as our mentors were there for us.”

Citing the words of Jesus in Luke 6:38, Jackson reflects on a life that he describes as running over with fulfillment. “I’m really blessed. But I feel like part of the blessings in my career came from the fact that I put as much emphasis on giving generously to the communities in which I served as I did on my career. For me, that’s the fundamental basis.”

Through it all, Jackson has never lost sight of where he came from, nor has he forgotten the opportunities that led him to where he is today.

“In a million years, who would have thought that this kid who grew up on welfare would walk on that campus, become a leader, study abroad, go on to law school and practice mergers and acquisitions in fifty countries? All of that became possible because of that fat envelope.”