Retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James “Hammer” Hartsell has joined the Saint Leo University Board of Trustees, bringing with him not only a lifetime of military and public service, but also a deeply personal reason for doing so.
Hartsell’s late son, Evin B. Hartsell, graduated from Saint Leo, in 2015, with a degree in psychology and was awarded a master’s degree posthumously in 2018. Despite living with significant health challenges, Evin found purpose and support within the university community, an experience his father says helped sustain him during his most difficult days.
“Saint Leo gave Evin a place to grow, to find purpose and to be surrounded by people who believed in him,” said Hartsell. “Even on his toughest days, this university was a source of strength.”
To carry that spirit forward, the family established the Evin B. Hartsell Endowed Memorial Scholarship, supporting students with disabilities in pursuit of their own academic goals.
A Florida native and lifelong public servant, Hartsell began his military career as an enlisted Marine, in 1981, and rose to the rank of major general over a 37-year career. He now leads the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, overseeing support for one of the largest veteran populations in the country.
