The University of Mary kicked off its Year of the Entrepreneur on Friday. The first of five businessmen honored was Harry J. Pearce.

The Year of the Entrepreneur is a yearlong event honoring five North Dakota entrepreneurs for establishing new ventures or leading existing ones into renewed growth. These people also must have the same values as those promoted by the University of Mary.

Pearce, a native of North Dakota, was a municipal judge and city commissioner before being elected chairman of the Hughes Electronics Corp. and vice chairman and a director of the General Motors Corp. in 1996. In 2001 he retired.

At the campus, Pearce discussed ethics in corporate America with approximately 100 Emerging Leaders Academy students. Through his professional experiences, he was able to provide insight and ask the students questions on how they can provide better ethical values in the future.

"What is the core problem, and why is this happening?" Pearce asked about the fall of many large corporations because of unethical practices.

He claimed the problems could not be because of the absence of statutes or regulations. However, the pressure to succeed and increase quarterly earnings can trump the values a person might have, he said.

Over a period of 15 years, Pearce represented GM and other industrial companies nationwide in a variety of product liability cases. One of his more famous cases was in 1993, when he discredited "Dateline NBC's" attack on GM's full-size pickups.

Pearce credits his ethical values to his early education at the United States Air Force Academy. While at the academy, he had to follow their code of ethics. If somebody breached the code, the case went before a board. The next day the person who broke the code was kicked out of the academy. There were no second chances, he said.

Sister Thomas Welder, president of the University of Mary, said Pearce and the other entrepreneurs have an advantage in the business world because of North Dakota values.

"We are trustworthy, reliable and we have the ability to deal with uncertainty," Welder said. "And we have loyalty to the community and family."

Pearce also stressed to the students the responsibility they have for their ethical behavior.

"Does it take courage to stand up for your beliefs? Absolutely. Is there a risk when you stand up to your boss because of what they are doing? Yes. But the important things in life come with taking risks," Pearce said.

The other four recipients for this award and their dates to appear at the university are: Dewey Tietz, Aug. 20, Edward Shorma, Oct. 24, Gary Tharaldson, Nov. 1, and Michael J. Hofer, Dec. 1.

(Reach Kayla Cogdill at 250-8251 or kaylacogdill@bismarcktribune.net.)