<ARTICLE>                     6
<LEGEND>

     This schedule  contains summary  financial  information  extracted from the
     Consolidated   Statement  of  Financial  Condition  at  December  31,  1998
     (unaudited)  and the  Consolidated  Statement  of  Operations  for the nine
     months ended December 31, 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>                   3-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              MAR-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                                 APR-01-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                   DEC-31-1998
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                1
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                          73,580,014
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                         373,366,337
<RECEIVABLES>                                  283,987
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                 4,019,378
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                           5,023,387                         
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 382,693,089
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                       0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                        5,000,000
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                      107,651,840
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                            112,651,840
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                       3,384,861
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                          3,807,951
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                          3,787,951
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                      4,330,410
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                         0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                        67,093,654
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                       0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                       195,232,324
<NET-ASSETS>                                   270,041,249
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                              1,579,387
<INTEREST-INCOME>                              990,815
<OTHER-INCOME>                                 415,300
<EXPENSES-NET>                                 1,554,779
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                        1,348,923
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                       495,194
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                      (26,225,711)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                          (24,381,594)
<EQUALIZATION>                                 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                      2,280,411
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                          0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                        14,000
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                    0
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                            0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                         (24,381,594)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                        5,261,898
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                      66,598,460
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                        0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                     0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                          0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                             315,305
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                                1,554,779
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                           0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                          78.15
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                .35
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                        (6.76)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                           (.60)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                      0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                           0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                            70.93
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                0
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                         0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>                           0