Fr. Tom Acker

Forward Southern West Virginia, Inc.

Tom Acker grew up in Rocky River, Ohio, a city on the shore of Lake Erie near Cleveland. At the age of 18, he entered the Jesuit Order of the Catholic Church and during his studies obtained a doctorate in Biology from Stanford University under the environmentalist Professor Paul Ehrlich. After his ordination, he taught biology at John Carroll University, and The University of Detroit. He then went to Katmandu, Nepal as a Fulbright Professor and later as a director of a U. S. Peace Corps program. He then taught at the University of San Francisco, and became Dean at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. His next journey was to Wheeling Jesuit University as President for 18 years, at which time he became a close friend of Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. In 2000, he moved to Beckley, West Virginia to head up Forward Southern West Virginia, an economic development organization that coordinates education, healthcare, and job creation for the bottom third of West Virginia. He is currently directing $50 million of advancement projects including a higher education center for seven public universities, the revitalization of center Beckley, and developing an eastern Grand Lodge. At the age of 74, he continues to enjoy hiking in the mountains, as well as visioning new opportunities for southern West Virginia.