Arthur J. Schmitt (1893 – 1971) was an industrial executive who devoted his resources to pro­moting his strong Christian principles and ideals. Though born to a Catho­lic family of limited financial means, he rose by his resourcefulness, inventiveness, persuasive ability, and managerial capacity to develop a prestigious international firm whose electronic expertise served his country effectively through the crucial years of World War II to the end of his lifetime. The question of leader­ship in the postwar world was of vital concern to Mr. Schmitt. Convinced that chaos would arise if the world were not in the hands of good leaders, he commit­ted his resources to building moral and just leadership. To this end, Mr. Schmitt founded the Fournier Institute of Technology, a school for students of the highest possible mental, physical, and moral caliber. The school opened in 1943 in Lemont, Illinois. Financial support for this ambitious enterprise came from the Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation, established in 1941. The foundation was sustained with the royalties from patents on Mr. Schmitt’s inventions. By 1955, Fournier had granted 171 high school and 80 college diplomas. At that time, Schmitt and the foundation directors concluded that graduate education at the doctoral level would be necessary to achieve the foundation’s purposes. Such an edu­cation was not feasible to offer at Fournier. A resulting decision was made to close the Institute. The resources of the foundation were then directed towards granting fellowships for graduate degrees at other institutions. Today, years after the death of Mr. Schmitt, the foundation continues his commit­ment to both education and the development of responsible leadership. Through the work of the foundation, Arthur J. Schmitt continues to make his mark on our world.

Reflecting the strong sense of responsible stewardship to God evidenced in the life of Arthur J. Schmitt, the Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation commits itself to placing its resources toward fashioning a better and more humane world through effective leadership. To this end the Foundation pledges to support endeavors that show great promise for developing personal leadership and achievement for the benefit of society. In its activities, deliberations and decisions, the Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation is rooted in a spirit of Christian concern, with a special, but not exclusive, commitment to the Roman Catholic tradition, in devotion to country, and in an informed awareness of present day world realities. The Foundation realizes that in so doing, it exemplifies the central commitments of Arthur J. Schmitt.

The Schmitt Fellowship is a program for the best and most innovative graduate students in the science and engineering fields at the University of Notre Dame to serve the world around them.  Schmitt Fellowships are awarded to the most outstanding students across all disciplines in both the College of Science and the College of Engineering, with 15 new positions available per year. 

Schmitt fellows are among approxi­mately the top 15 percent of all doc­toral students in the country.  At the University of Notre Dame, Schmitt fellows receive full tuition scholarships and highly competitive sti­pends that are guaranteed for five years (provided they make satisfactory prog­ress toward their degrees) as well as the full student health insurance premium during the term of the fellowship.