International accounting executive James A. Hassett established the James A. Hassett/Ernst & Young Endowed Scholarship for Accounting Excellence for $60,000, along with matching funds from Ernst & Young LLC for a total of $120,000. The funds will provide scholarships to full-time students majoring in accounting at the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business School of Accountancy.
Hassett climbed up the corporate ranks fairly early in his career establishing an impressive resume that spanned several U.S. cities and countries in Asia. He began working at the Ernst & Young office in Houston, Texas, and proved early on that he had the passion, dedication, and drive to succeed in the competitive audit, tax, and advisory services industry.
By age 33, he was named the youngest partner at the Ernst & Young office in Houston. His success in Houston led to many other managerial roles in Cleveland, Memphis, New York and eventually overseeing the greater Lake Michigan area with its headquarters in Chicago. Most recently he was managing partner of the Asian region where he oversaw many of the firm's fastest growing markets. This region spans approximately a quarter of the globe and encompasses more than 21,000 employees in 16 countries including China, Vietnam, Korea, and Singapore.
Hassett received an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BBA in 1973 from the Shidler College of Business. He was inducted into the Shidler Alumni Hall of Honor in 2004.
Vance Roley, dean of the Shidler College of Business, said, "We are grateful for Jim's scholarship endowment for our accounting students and his life-long commitment to helping youth organizations in the communities where he lived. Jim's outstanding professional success and commitment to public service makes him the perfect role model for our students who have aspirations of working for a multinational corporation. Through his gift, we will be able to recruit outstanding students and cultivate new generations of accounting leaders prepared to work globally."
Press Release: https://www.uhfoundation.org/news/james-hassett-establishes-120000-scholarship-endowment-uh-manoa-shidler-college-business
