Leadership

Jack W. Haye

President

Jack W. Haye became the third president of Patrick Henry College in 2015 after thirty years in the banking world as Senior Vice President of Corporate Lending and later as Executive Vice President and National Manager of Treasury Management Consulting. President Haye was a founding member of Patrick Henry College’s Board of Trustees in 1998 and served as Chairman of the Board from 1999-2015.
President Haye left his corporate banking position in 2012 to become the Executive Pastor of the First Baptist Church of McKinney, a 3,000-member church located near Dallas. He held this position until coming to Patrick Henry College.
President Haye serves as Patrick Henry College’s chief executive officer, overseeing all internal and external affairs of PHC and maintaining an educational program consistent with the mission. Jack and his wife, Carol, have been married for 40 years. They are blessed with one daughter, seven sons, and seven grandchildren.

Michael Farris

Chancellor Emeritus and Professor of Government

Educational Background:
LL.M., University of London
J.D., honors graduate, Gonzaga University School of Law
B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, Western Washington University (formerly Western Washington State College)

Time at PHC: 2000 to present

Dr. Michael P. Farris is Chancellor Emeritus of Patrick Henry College and Chairman and General Counsel of the Home School Legal Defense Association.

Since founding HSLDA in 1983, Dr. Farris has used his extensive experience in both politics and appellate litigation to defend parental rights and help grow the organization to over 83,000 member families with a staff of 125. As a constitutional attorney, Dr. Farris has argued before the United States Supreme Court, seven U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal, and ten state supreme courts.

In 2000, Dr. Farris became the founding president of another unique educational venture: Patrick Henry College. PHC is a four-year Christian college with the mission of training students through a classical liberal arts curriculum and apprenticeship methodology to impact the world “for Christ and for Liberty.”

PHC provides academically excellent, baccalaureate-level higher education from a biblical worldview. After serving as president of PHC for six academic years, Dr. Farris transitioned into the role of Chancellor. He continues to teach Constitutional Law and coach the PHC Moot Court team. His teams won the national ACMA championships in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016, and defeated Oxford University before two of the highest judges in Britain and in a repeat match before the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Dr. Farris is an honors graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law (Juris Doctor, 1976), where he was the Articles Editor of the law review and the winner of the Linden Cup Moot Court competition. In 2012, he earned an LL.M. with Merit in Public International Law from the University of London.

In recognition of his work in home education, Education Week has named Dr. Farris one of the “Top 100 Faces in Education of the 20th Century.” Heritage Foundation awarded him its Salvatori Award for American Citizenship in 2002.

Dr. Farris has written over fifteen books, including three novels, two constitutional law textbooks, and works on marriage, parenting, homeschooling, political advocacy, and religious liberty. He is the author and narrator of a popular video series entitled “Constitutional Literacy.” His daily radio program, Home School Heartbeat, airs on several hundred stations nationwide. Dr. Farris was ordained in 1983 and was the founding pastor for Blue Ridge Bible Church.

He is the Senior Fellow for Constitutional Studies and the head of the Convention of States Project. The purpose of this project is to stop the overreach of federal power.

Dr. Farris and his wife, Vickie, have homeschooled their family since 1982. They have ten children and nineteen grandchildren. They live in Purcellville, Virginia.

Howard Schmidt

Executive Vice President, Patrick Henry College
Director, Economics & Business Analytics Program

Educational Background:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University, cum laude
M.B.A., Millsaps College, magna cum laude

Time at PHC: 2017 to present

Howard Schmidt is the Executive Vice President of the College and also serves a Director of the Economics & Business Analytics Program. Howard has over 35 years of experience in industry with over 20 years in Executive roles within various divisions of Lennox International Inc. He has both domestic and international business experience and brings a unique depth and breadth of knowledge in all aspects of business ranging from Finance to Engineering to Branding, Sales, Operations and Information Technology.

Howard has worked for a variety of major companies throughout his career such as Federal Mogul, Frito Lay, Magnetek, Heatcraft Refrigeration Products, and Advanced Distributor Products (a division of Lennox International). Continuous learning has been a hallmark of his professional career. He has completed executive educational courses from premier institutions such as Northwestern University, Harvard University, The University of Maryland, and The University of Tennessee.

In his last tenure as the Senior Executive of Advanced Distributor Products, he led the lowest performing division to fifth largest profit center, the second highest return on sales, and the #1 ROIC division within the international company. In his last year as the chief executive, the company exceeded +$250M in annual sales and employed over 1,100 employees. He led the charge in new technology development resulting in sustainable manufacturing operations within the United States while successfully, and daily, competing with various manufacturers throughout the global landscape.

From the depths of the Great Recession of 2008, he led the company in 8 straight years of significant market share gains, while averaging +13% in annual sales growth during those same years. His areas of expertise are Strategy, Execution, Innovation, Financial Management, Branding, Program Management, and Talent Development.

While serving in industry, Howard was also heavily involved in the support and growth of Patrick Henry College. Since the inception of the college, Howard has served as a major donor, a member of the Foundation Board, and a member of the Board of Trustees.