Arthur J. Schmitt's lifelong quest for ethical and actionable leadership for organizations and the young men he taught in an enriched and accelerated program designed to prepare them for industrial and civic responsibility is engendered within Benedictine University's Arthur J. Schmitt Future Leaders Scholarship Program.

The Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation, which he established to improve society through conscientious and enlightened leadership, has generously supported the Scholarship Program for over 5 years.  The College of Business and the Center For Values-Driven Leadership (CVDL), which offers research, education and outreach opportunities to help business leaders forge new paths to profitability have partnered to offer an experience through leadership development workshops and directed mentoring to Future Leader Scholars in developing future servant-leaders.   

In 2007, The Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation wanted to forge new in-roads with Benedictine University by creating an environment that Arthur J. Schmitt passed on his knowledge, skills, and compassion to students, by building a program that coincides with the vision of the Foundation.  The College of Business and the newly formed Center for Values-Driven Leadership initiated the program.  The new program was styled after the workshops done through Arthur J. Schmitt with an emphasis around Robert Greenleaf's definition of "Servant-Leadership" as well as Jim Collin's "Level 5 Leadership" in which learning exercises were combined with individual learning styles and leadership simulations.