Distinguished Achievement Award Recipient James E. Stowers III

ASU honors James E. Stowers III of American Century Investments

James E. Stowers III, co-chairman of American Century Investments, receives the 2002 Distinguished Achievement Award at the W. P. Carey School of Business graduation convocation on Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m. in Wells Fargo Arena.

Stowers (BS Finance, '81), is a member of the Executive Committee and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of American Century Investments, a leading investment manager headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also a portfolio manager on the team that oversees the management of the American Century Ultra and Veedot funds.

"Jim is a leader in his field, and ASU is lucky to have a person of Jim's stature engaged with our students in an active learning process," said Larry E. Penley, Dean of the School of Business. "Jim understands the critical value of alumni involvement in a business school -- through people like him, professional schools like ASU BUSINESS are better off. He has been very generous with the gift of his time, his expertise and his support of our business students."

At the W. P. Carey School of Business, Stowers has been actively involved with the ASU MBA Investment Management Fund, a portfolio managed by a team of ASU MBA students.

"Jim has taken the initiative on the ASU MBA Investment Management Advisory Board to help students apply modern portfolio assessment tools to the IM portfolio," said Dr. Herbert Kaufman, Chairman of the Department of Finance. "Sometimes Jim's demanding schedule allows him only enough time to fly in from Kansas City, attend a meeting and fly out again. This is truly a commitment. Jim's involvement has significantly impacted the learning process and I know the students have really appreciated his efforts."

American Century, founded by Stowers' father, James E. Stowers Jr., is a multi-disciplined, global asset management firm with nearly $85 billion in assets. The firm pioneered the use of technology in common stock investing by developing a computer program to help identify companies with earnings and revenue acceleration. James Stowers III began writing computer programs designed to track investors' accounts while still a student at the W. P. Carey School of Business and has had a key role in building American Century to the leadership position it now holds in the industry.

Stowers, married with two children, is active in civic affairs in his hometown of Kansas City. He is President-elect of the Kansas City Zoo where he will help lead a new public/private initiative to improve the 200-acre facility.