Title:Endowed professorship expands Jesuit presence in McDonough School of Business

New gift supports a values-based education in both business and theology

To Joseph Swan Sr. (B’67) and Denise Swan (Parents’95,’96,’00, Grandparents’25,’27), what differentiates Georgetown as an institution is having Jesuits available for direct contact with students.

“For centuries, the Jesuits’ mission has been to educate young people’s minds, bodies, and spirits,” says Joe Swan, 1982 winner of Georgetown’s prestigious John Carroll Award, “and they are superb at achieving their mission. They not only strengthen students’ understanding of what is right and wrong but also their responsibilities to the betterment of society. They help our future leaders understand the need and importance of introducing ‘soul’ into business and our democracy.”

The importance of Jesuit education is evident in the Swan family’s own history: three generations of the Swan family have attended Georgetown—one grandchild is studying at Georgetown in the College of Arts & Sciences and another set to join the Class of 2027 in the School of Nursing.

As longtime supporters of the Georgetown McDonough School of Business with a desire to immerse future business leaders in a values-based Jesuit education, the Swans recently made a $2M gift to establish the Swan Family Ignatian Endowed Professorship Fund. The endowment supports a Jesuit faculty member with experience in both business and theology. 

“The advantage of a Jesuit education is producing the whole person who will be at the service of the world and their community of neighbors,” says Father Ron Anton, S.J., senior advisor for Jesuit identity at McDonough. “That’s what students want and that’s what Joe is helping to make possible in the business school. The Jesuit presence makes a difference.”

When the endowed professorship was established, Father Anton and Paul Almeida, McDonough School of Business dean and William R. Berkley chair, identified Father Dupont as the right candidate to serve in the new role. 

As one of the few Jesuits with a business background, Father Dupont is uniquely positioned to integrate the pillars of learning, faith, and service into business education. He has earned seven advanced degrees in topics ranging from ethics to theology, economics, and finance. He has published written material on Jesuit topics, including The Jesuit Post, a collection of essays from a Jesuit perspective, and peer-reviewed work about trust in finance. 

“I view Jesuit values like ‘people for others’ as fundamental to how business works, how it grows, and the good that business does,” Dupont says. “The Swan family has given me a dream job. It’s a very humbling honor and an overwhelming privilege. “l have this deep desire that must be from God to try to bring Jesuit values into the world of business education. It’s an ambitious mission.

For McDonough, having the opportunity to recruit a Jesuit to the faculty adds to the school’s mission of educating business leaders who serve the common good. 

“Guided by our Jesuit tradition, Georgetown McDonough is committed to preparing principled leaders who can do well for business, for society, and for the world,” says Almeida. “We are grateful to the Swan family for their generosity and for their support of Father Dupont, who will help us further strengthen our connection to our Jesuit values and create new opportunities to use business as a force for good.”