James A. Hogan Master of Public Administration Scholarship
Jim Hogan, an Arizona State University alumnus, and long-time public servant in Arizona passed away in spring 2015, but his legacy lives on through the James A. Hogan Master of Public Administration Scholarship.
“Jim was committed to efficiencies and effectiveness in government,” said his wife, Kate Hogan. “It just made sense to me from Jim’s history and his passion for how he felt the government should run, to establish this scholarship to support students who want to make a difference.”
Jim was in the first graduating class of the Master of Public Administration offered through the School of Public Affairs. He later worked for Arizona's Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Arizona Department of Economic Security, and for ASU as Associate Budget Director.
“He was a money guy,” Kate said. “But he did it all in government.”
He served in the Army during the Vietnam War. He was part of the transition team to help the Vietnamese take back their own governance and country management. That experience led him to be chosen for a position in Saudi Arabia, where he was part of a company that was building a city. His role was to teach the Saudis how to run a government. Jim came back to Arizona and joined Maricopa County as chief deputy treasurer. Kate notes that he really tried to influence county governance.
“He established the first call center for counties around the state. He got elected officials to give him whatever jobs were not filled in their offices, which enabled
him to start the call center with no money. That’s who he was,” she said.
Jim also felt that taxpayers needed to be better informed about where their money went.
“You don’t just pay taxes to the county treasurer. You pay for the strength of education, for fire departments and other services,” said Kate.
Under Jim’s watch, tax bills showed residents a breakdown of spending.
“He was a leader with a heart and a soul and a very good mind,” Kate said, noting that even though Jim had not worked for a number of years, many people from the treasurer’s office and elected officials attended his memorial ceremony.
The Jim Hogan Public Administration Scholarship will benefit a student pursuing a Master’s of Public Administration. As a long-time professional in financial aid
for higher education, Kate says she knows first-hand the need to support students. She hopes to add to the endowment over time.
"For me, I would want the scholarship to go to someone to enable them to pursue their dream. That’s a financial aid person talking,” said Kate. “I think Jim would want it to be somebody who believed they could make life better for the taxpayer and who wants government to be accountable to the public.”
“We wanted to use the money for the way Jim lived. I think he would want to be remembered for how he lived. He made a difference,” she said.