Presidential Links
- Hall of Presidents
- President's Investiture
- President's Circle
- Capital Improvements
- Texas State University System
- TX Higher Ed Coordinating Board
- Organizational Chart
- SHSU Then and Now
- Today@Sam
- SHSU Home Page
Administration Building, Rm 303
Investiture
Of the Twelfth President of Sam Houston State University Feb 21, 2002
Hall of Presidents | Investiture Committee | Biographical Sketch
President James F. Gaertner
Investiture | Bio
Dr. James F. (Jim) Gaertner, who earned two degrees from Sam Houston State, was named the University's 12th president in August 2001.
A native Texan, Dr. Gaertner began his career on the audit staff of KPMG Peat Marwick in Houston, and then served as controller for the Tex Tan Welhausen Division of the Tandy Corporation, from 1968 to 1973. He has been on the board of directors of Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. since 1990, and in 1997 was elected chairman of the board. In November 1999, Forbes magazine listed Tandy Brands as one of the 200 best small companies in the United States.
He earned his doctorate at Texas A&M University in 1977 and taught there from September 1973 to August 1976.
After earning his doctorate, Dr. Gaertner spent seven years as an assistant and associate professor at the University of Notre Dame, including a year as director of the Notre Dame London MBA program.
He returned to Texas to become professor and director of the Division of Accounting and Information Systems at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Dr. Gaertner spent 13 of his 18 years at UTSA as Dean of the College of Business. During his time at UTSA, he also served as Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and was one of four finalists for the Presidency of UTSA in 1999.
His publications include more than 35 articles, books, book reviews and refereed presentations. He has given more than 100 lectures in the United States, England, China, Canada and Mexico and presented executive education courses on various topics including Use of Financial Data in Decision Making, Zero-Based Budgeting, and CPA Review.
He has also been active in community and professional service, including serving as President of the Carver Academy of San Antonio Board of Directors, chairman of the board of Business Careers High School in San Antonio for two terms, on the executive committee of the board of directors of Junior Achievement of South Texas for three terms, and as a Junior Achievement fifth grade classroom volunteer for five years.
He served as president of the Southwestern Business Deans Association in 1994-'95, was editor of The Academy of Accounting Historians monograph series from 1981-'86, was a witness before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on copyright legislation in 1984, and was a Coopers & Lybrand Research Fellow at the University of Notre Dame in 1978-'79.
Dr. Gaertner's wife, Nancy, an award-winning elementary school teacher, is also a Sam Houston State University alum. They have three grown children and two grandsons.
