As James (Smith) Bancroft ’68 knows, a Lehigh degree can take you all over the world.
Though James graduated with an engineering degree, his Lehigh education helped him discover a passion for cultural anthropology and language. He decided to follow those interests by joining the Peace Corps after graduation. This experience took him throughout Micronesia and Southeast Asia and helped him land a job in documentary filmmaking in Singapore.
When he returned to the United States, he settled in San Francisco and built a career in public finance investment banking that eventually took him to Los Angeles. Though no longer with the Peace Corps, he still sought out opportunities to learn about those in different circumstances. In 2000 he wound down his finance firm and became the full-time, pro bono chairman of St. Joseph Center, a social service agency that provides an array of services to the homeless and working poor. “Los Angeles County has a huge homeless problem—the worst in the United States. During my time at St. Joseph Center we transitioned the agency into one of the major providers of services and they now are able to help thousands of people each year.”
Now, James is the pro bono COO of the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center. The center uses the performing arts to empower the children of South Los Angeles to understand their true value, impact their community as positive role models, and inspire them to expand their dreams of who they can become. “The organization gets kids off the streets and into a community where they feel supported and valued. If they stay with the program, all of them graduate high school and most go on to college,” he says.
Building upon his dedication to nonprofits, James has supported Lehigh’s annual fund for many years. He remembers his time at Lehigh fondly, particularly the camaraderie he developed with his classmates, and he credits his Lehigh experience as a meaningful part of his life.
“You should invest in what you know, and I know Lehigh,” says James. “My experience at Lehigh was a formative one, as it was for a lot of us. Over the years I have followed Lehigh’s evolution and development into a very strong, well-rounded university with an enormous commitment to diversity and providing more financial aid. I want to support that kind of effort.”
Expanding access to a Lehigh education for the most talented and ambitious students, regardless of their financial capacity, is a central tenet of GO: The Campaign for Lehigh, a historic fundraising and engagement endeavor that will mark Lehigh’s next great age. James and his wife, Juliana, have stepped forward at this pivotal time to create a scholarship for students from Los Angeles with financial need. “Lehigh has developed a presence in California. Having grown up on the east coast and lived on the west coast, and having worked in many parts of the world, I feel strongly that if students are given the opportunity, they should experience other parts of the country with different mindsets and history. If everybody strived to get exposure to different cultures, the world would be a better place.”
Thank you, James, for making an impact on both coasts. Many students will benefit from your loyal support.
UPDATE (August 2020)
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Los Angeles, the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center has been working hard to make sure they are still able to serve their community. We recently caught up with James Bancroft ’68 to find out how the center continues to make a big impact.
When Los Angeles went into lockdown, the center decided to continue their programming virtually. Due to many of their students not having access to the internet, they went from serving 800 kids to 250. They wanted to make up for the loss of in-person classes with the quality of their offerings. The center’s founder, Fernando Pullum, began earnestly tracking down his industry contacts to conduct master classes with the students.
“The master classes have been truly outstanding,” says James. “All the artists have time on their hands right now, since they can’t perform gigs. We’ve had nationally recognized people from music and theatre.” Some of the notable guest artists they’ve welcomed so far include Kamasi Washington (jazz saxophonist), Christian McBride (jazz bassist), Jack Bender (director of Game of Thrones, Lost, and The Sopranos), Vince Wilburn Jr. (drummer, producer, and nephew of Miles Davis), and Wynton Marsalis (trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center).
Pullum focused on bringing in artists with similar backgrounds to the children they serve. The artists would give the students an assignment to prepare for the master class, and then they would perform the assigned piece in front of the guest artist and fellow students. “These are people who are professionals and are used to working with professionals, yet they’ve been doing so well with the kids. They have been boosting their confidence and complimenting their strengths while still giving constructive feedback,” says James.
The center has also partnered with fellow nonprofit organization 180 Degrees to ensure their students and families have access to meals. Throughout the pandemic, they have worked with 180 Degrees to provide 100 lunches and dinners three times per week to their community.
While the center has been closed to the public, they have used this time to make many improvements to their facility. James is looking forward to seeing their students interact with the upgraded spaces. “It will be really exciting for the kids. There will be an actual film recording studio and sound recording studio and we rebuilt the theatre room with a new stage, new lighting, and curtains to give them a real theatre experience.”
This summer, the center continued to offer master classes and other programming virtually. “The summer program is particularly important,” James notes. “Kids have a lot of time in the summer and it’s good to give them something to focus on.” We would like to thank James and all the Lehigh alumni who are selflessly rolling up their sleeves and working hard to address the challenges of the pandemic in their communities. Read this story from KCBS to learn more about the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center and visit this page to see some of the master classes and kids’ performances.
