Campaign Contributor: Jim Allwin T'76
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Not just sitting around talking "The best kind of leadership is by example, not sitting around talking about things," noted Tuck Overseer Jim Allwin T'76. First-year students saw this leadership philosophy in action at a Tuck's Day of Service dinner, an annual Orientation event, in 2005. After T'07 Patrick Redmond stood up to challenge his classmates to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief, Allwin immediately offered to match student contributions, saying that he was pleased and very proud of the class. Since that evening, others have matched the match, including Overseer Alan Leventhal T'76, former Overseer Jack Byrne, and an anonymous donor. Total donations from the entire Tuck community topped $100,000. "It would have been easy for Patrick just to shrink back," Allwin said. "But now his act has been leveraged many times, which is wonderful." Investment—in both philanthropy and business—was a big part of Allwin's life. He was founder and president of Aetos Capital, LLC, an independent investment management firm managing $8 billion in real estate, hedge funds, and private equity. Before founding Aetos in 1999, Allwin spent 23 years at Morgan Stanley, including time in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions, and ultimately serving as the head of investment management businesses, including Morgan Stanley Asset Management, Miller Anderson & Sherrerd, and the firm's private equity and real estate funds. Certainly Allwin's involvement with corporate citizenship and business ethics has had a most notable impact on Tuck and its students. His naming gift in 2002 and a substantial endowment in 2005 have allowed the Allwin Initiative for Corporate Citizenship to elevate the profile of these critical issues throughout the curriculum and to help students pursue careers that further social responsibility in both corporations and in nonprofits. Allwin himself was the first to admit that simply integrating ethical discussions into an MBA program doesn't guarantee ethical business behavior, but he hoped it provides a strong framework to prepare students for the challenges they will face in their careers. "Making seed investments in the right areas can be really consequential in changing lives, and I'm extremely encouraged by how students and faculty have responded." And he believed that community service—also part of the Initiative's activities—leads to a more ethical view of the world. He advised that "a little bit of humility and the perspective that comes from service can only help people deal with the complicated business judgments they will have to make." More than just a donor, Allwin maintained hands-on involvement with the Tuck program that bears his name and with several other social-purpose organizations, including Communities In Schools, the nation's largest stay-in-school program, and America's Promise, dedicated to strengthening the character and competence of youth. "They're real time commitments," said Allwin, "with kids, with programs, and traveling the country." And his travels took him far from the bread-and-butter financial world—a good thing. "When I come back from those experiences, I come back with a healthier attitude, no question about it," he said. For Allwin, the most important thing about his own giving was the example. "If you demonstrate to people that by giving back, they can have an impact on other lives, your own investment has been leveraged manyfold. There's much more that we can do together." Jim Allwin passed away on October 19, 2007. |
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