<ARTICLE>                                            6
<LEGEND>

     (A) This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the
     Consolidated  Statement  of  Financial  Condition  at  september  30,  1998
     (unaudited) and the Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year ended
     September  30,  1998  (unaudited)  and  is  qualified  in its  entirety  by
     reference to such financial statements.

</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0000017313
<NAME>                        Capital Southwest Corporation
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1
<CURRENCY>                                     US DOLLARS
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              MAR-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                                 APR-01-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                   SEP-30-1998
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<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                           47,264,066
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<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                       0
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<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                              1,194,315
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<OTHER-INCOME>                                 290,450
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<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                       495,194
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                      (28,557,639)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                          (26,835,917)
<EQUALIZATION>                                 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                      757,590
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                          0
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<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                    0
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                            0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                         (27,411,819)
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