Jim Cawley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 32ndLieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 18, 2011 – January 20, 2015 | |
| Governor | Tom Corbett |
| Preceded by | Joe Scarnati |
| Succeeded by | Mike Stack |
| Member of theBucks County Board of Commissioners | |
| In office January 4, 2005 – January 18, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Fitzpatrick |
| Succeeded by | Robert G. Loughery |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1969-06-22)June 22, 1969 (age 56) Bristol, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Suzanne Cawley |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Temple University (BA,JD) |
James Cawley (born June 22, 1969) is an American politician and administrator who has served as president ofRosemont College since 2022.
Cawley previously served asLieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2015. As of 2026, he is the most recentRepublican to hold the office.[a] He has also served on the Board of Commissioners forBucks County, Pennsylvania.
He graduated fromBishop Egan High School inBristol Township,Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He then graduatedcum laude fromTemple University with aBachelor of Arts inPolitical Science. He received aJ.D. degree fromTemple University School of Law.[1]
Prior to being elected to the Bucks County Board of Commissioners, he was chief of staff toState SenatorTommy Tomlinson. In 2000, he ran for a seat in thePennsylvania House of Representatives in the 141st District. Incumbent Democratic State RepresentativeAnthony Melio won re-election by defeating Cawley 56%–42%.[2] He was also a former Pennsylvania state chairman and national co-chairman of theCollege Republicans and served as an elected member of the Bristol Township School Board.
He served on the County Commissioner's Association of Pennsylvania's Energy, Environment, & Land Use Committee as chairman. Jim is a former member of the board of directors forLower Bucks Hospital, a former trustee of Bucks County Community College and a Commonwealth trustee of Temple University.
He was appointed to theBucks County Board of Commissioners following the resignation ofMike Fitzpatrick (who had been elected to Congress).
In 2007, he won re-election with 26% of the vote.[3]
He became chairman of the board after he was re-elected. According to self-supplied biographical information, he helped expand theBucks County Community College, kept taxes low for four consecutive years, and helped increase the county's bond rating to its highest level ever.[1]
In 2010, he ran for the statelieutenant governor and won the Republican primary in a crowded nine candidate field with just 26% of the vote. He only won14 out of the state's 67 counties. He only won three counties with a majority: Bucks (70%),Montgomery (51%), andDelaware (56%) counties.[4] He was on the ticket with Republican gubernatorial nomineeTom Corbett, thestate's Attorney General. He defeated Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial nomineeScott Conklin, a state representative, 54%–46%.[5] He took office on January 18, 2011.
Cawley briefly served asacting governor on February 27, 2014, while Governor Tom Corbett was anesthetized during surgery. The Pennsylvania Constitution states that when the governor is incapacitated, the lieutenant governor shall serve as acting governor until the disability is removed. Corbett awoke after surgery and was cleared to resume power approximately 85 minutes after going under. Cawley was the third lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania history to assume power as acting governor.[6]
Cawley was unopposed in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor in May 2014. He was Governor Corbett's running mate again in thegeneral election on November 4, 2014, in which the Republican ticket was defeated by the DemocratsTom Wolf andMike Stack.
Cawley was named a 2014Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow.[7]
On February 9, 2015, Cawley became the new president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.[8]
On August 13, 2017, Temple announced the appointment of Cawley as a vice president of institutional advancement.[9]
On June 3, 2022, the board of trustees ofRosemont College inRosemont, Pennsylvania, announced the appointment of Cawley as interim president of the college.
On October 28, 2022, the board of trustees of Rosemont College announced the appointment of Cawley as president of the college. On March 31, 2025, Rosemont College announced that it was merging withVillanova University in 2028 under Cawley's leadership.[10]
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Cawley, lives inLanghorne Manor Borough, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his wife and son.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania 2011–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theBucks County Board of Commissioners 2005–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forLieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania 2010,2014 | Succeeded by |
| Vice-presidents (1777–1790) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant governors (since 1875) | ||
