In an effort to establish better relations with NIU and the Accountancy Department, James Hendricks has been awarded $15,000 as the first Square D professor.

Square D, a company involved in making electronic and electrical equipment, including circut breakers, has committed $75,000 to NIU for named professorships in the Accountancy Department. The money is to be awarded at the rate of $15,000 annually to five professors.

Square D has set up the Square D Foundation, which offers financial support to many universities throughout the country. NIU is the first recipient of a grant for the named professorship program.

A named professorship recognizes valuable faculty members with a “special supplement to the professors salary”, said Tom Montiegel, vice president for development and university relations. NIU would “like to have more named professorships,” said Montiegel,”because they are sometimes needed to retain the best faculty members who may receive more lucrative offers.”

The Square D foundation committed the funds to NIU because Square D hopes to “establish a closer relationships with NIU through this grant,” said Thomas Bindley, Square D executive vice president and chief financial officer.

William Mueller, vice president, controller and chief accounting officer at Square D, looks upon NIU as a major source of outstanding accountancy graduates for the company’s operations. Mueller said Square D considers the NIU Accountancy program “one of the best in the country,” noting NIU has the highest first time pass rate on Certified Public Accountant exams of any American college or university. Mueller is also a member of the Board of Executive Directors for the NIU College of Business.

Square D employs many NIU accountancy graduates and hopes to continue to employ more in the future.

Hendricks has been an NIU faculty member for 22 years. He received a B.S. degree from NIU in 1965, an MBA from Indiana University in 1967, and a Ph.D. in accountancy from University of Illinois in 1974.

Hendricks was selected for the Square D named professorship by representatives of the NIU College of Business and Square D. He was chosen on “the basis of his past academic record, his work with business, and his work with students,” said Accountancy Department Chair John Smith. “Hendricks teaches managerial accounting, which is of interest to Square D and was part of the reason he was chosen,” said Smith.