Double Alumnus Establishes Endowed Professorship at Villanova Law
The Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law recently announced the John H. Buhsmer Esq. '84 Endowed Professor of Law. The new position is made possible by a $1.5 million gift from John (Jack) Buhsmer ’84 JD, ’89 LLM. Professor Leslie Book, a national authority on tax procedure and tax administration, is the inaugural professorship holder.
“Endowed professorships are a crucial factor in our ability to attract and retain the most exceptional faculty at Villanova Law,” said Mark C. Alexander, The Arthur J. Kania Dean. “This generous gift from Jack Buhsmer benefits our entire community, and we are truly fortunate to count Jack among our esteemed alumni.”
A native of Gulph Mills, PA, Buhsmer has lifelong ties to Villanova. He grew up attending men’s basketball games with his father and became a big fan of the school. After earning his undergraduate degree in accounting from Drexel University, he made his way to Villanova to pursue his JD and LLM degrees.
“The tax law faculty at Villanova was top-notch and made a big impact on me,” Buhsmer explained. “I built my whole career off the technical framework of the LLM. It gave me such an advantage. I could work with any technical guru on Wall Street or anyone in the big law firms.”
After completing his LLM degree in 1989, Buhsmer became a consultant with Price Waterhouse in New York City, specializing in international tax. His career then took him to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Pittsburgh for five years before moving to Florida, where he served as vice president - taxes for Fresh Del Monte Produce and Roper Technologies.
As he grew his career, Buhsmer also grew his relationship with Villanova, giving back as a committed alumnus and donor. He knew he wanted to make an even more significant impact when he learned that endowed faculty positions are a priority. He also knew he wanted to recognize a tax expert.
The opportunity was a natural fit for Book, who has served as director of the law school’s Federal Tax Clinic, Graduate Tax Program and Online Graduate Tax Program, and a professor in residence with the IRS, Taxpayer Advocate Service. At Villanova, he received the inaugural Diane Ambler Award for faculty curricular innovation in 2018 for creating the Online Graduate Tax Program with Professor Joy Mullane. In 2021, he won the Diane Ambler Faculty Scholarship Impact Award, which recognizes work that has substantially impacted the law, the academy, the legal profession or policy debate.
“I am so very grateful for Jack’s extraordinary generosity, and I am honored to be the first John H. Buhsmer Esq. '84 Endowed Professor of Law,” said Book. “This appointment provides the inspiration and the resources for me to focus on teaching the next generation of leaders and continuing to research and write on the relationship between our tax system and fairness.”
For his part, Buhsmer “could not be more thrilled” to have Book in the position. He credits Villanova for helping shape his life, noting that he forged “a deep, deep connection” with the school as a student, in large part because of the faculty and administration.
“The community here was just so good, and I always wanted to do something for Villanova Law,” he said. “I want it to be the best law school it can be, and I think having the best faculty is one of those ingredients.”