Dr. Ed Hines believes that Illinois State provided an outstanding work environment. Prior to ISU, he was an administrator at Carnegie-Mellon University, a full-time research fellow at Ohio State after earning a Ph.D. in educational administration, and an assistant professor at SUNY-Albany, New York.
As soon as Hines saw the pictures of the doctoral graduates on the “wall of fame” in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations (EAF), he wanted to join the College of Education faculty. His ISU career included ranks as associate professor, professor, and Distinguished Professor.
A recipient of the ISU Outstanding Researcher Award, Hines taught graduate courses in higher educational administration and college student personnel administration. He was very involved with EAF’s doctoral cohort in Thailand.
Hines found ISU to be extraordinary, especially its emphasis on students, active learning, and collaborative student involvement with faculty in research and scholarship. He is proud to have taken students to state, regional, and national professional meetings where research findings were presented with students.
Beyond teaching, Hines served for 15 years as editor of Grapevine in the Center for the Study of Educational Policy in DeGarmo Hall. The work involved compiling annual data on state fiscal support for higher education.
He and his wife, Judy, a former Bloomington Junior High teacher, have been singing for 55 years. As soon as they arrived at ISU in 1981, she joined the ISU Civic Chorale. Ed joined in 1985. They chaired the chorale’s 50th Anniversary Celebration and packed the ISU Center for Performing Arts for the concert. Memories include concerts in Chicago, Springfield, on campus, and a trip to Europe with ISU music students. The couple created the ISU Civic Chorale Excellence Fund. They continue to support the University as donors in the 1857 Society.
Hines retired in 2006 and began writing historical books. Included are a history of the Bloomington-Normal Unitarian Universalist Church, the ISU Civic Chorale, and the Hines family of Meadville, Pennsylvania. Two ancestors were decorated Civil War veterans. In 1751, two brothers from Southwestern Germany settled in Penn’s Woods, later to become the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Hines is still active in the EAF Department and stays in touch with former students and colleagues. He can be contacted at erhines@IllinoisState.edu, (309) 661-2799, or 10281 Old Sawmill Road, Bloomington, IL 61705.
