Brother Paul Goelz, S.M., Ph.D., followed his passion for education and entrepreneurship by devoting his life to teaching free enterprise at St. Mary’s University and helping entrepreneurs succeed. He established the Algur H. Meadows Center for Entrepreneurial Studies in 1981 with a grant he obtained from the Meadows Foundation of Dallas, which later was supplemented by a gift from the Gulf Oil Foundation.   The academic programs in entrepreneurship focus on the career preparation of students who plan to initiate and operate their own businesses rather than enter the corporate world of large companies in a line or staff position.

Through the Meadows Center, Goelz built a strong relationship with South Texas business professionals who engaged in entrepreneurial activities. In 1986, he developed the Forum on Entrepreneurship Breakfast Series. Each year, the Forum hosts four breakfast meetings that feature prominent entrepreneurs who share their experiences and insights.

In 2003, a second program began to emanate from the Center, the Entrepreneur Scholars Program (E-Scholars Program).  The E-scholars Program is a yearlong certificate program that includes academic and extra-curricular activities to help manage business ventures of undergraduate students from all disciplines and majors.

In fall of 2006, the Center began offering the Goelz Speaker Series. The Goelz Speaker Series is part of a course titled “Exploring Entrepreneurship: Profiles of Successful Entrepreneurs and Senior Executives.” Students enrolled in this class have the rare opportunity to hear autobiographical speeches from nationally known entrepreneurs and senior level executives about their “road maps” to success. Students read biographies of well-known entrepreneurs, analyze prospective success patterns, and contribute to the class through verbal and written projects.