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Thomas I. Hines
1913 - 1999
Inducted October 2014 |
"What a legacy he provided for us to emulate; what devotion to the field he modeled for us, and what strength of character and integrity he displayed for everyone who had the good fortune to be in his presence." |
Thomas Hines began his long career in parks and recreation as a playground director for Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at the age of 19 and his career culminated as the department head of North Carolina State University, where Hines spent 31 years leading one of the largest and most prestigiuos park and recreation curricula in the United States. At North Carolina State University, Hines developed one of the first college curricula in parks and recreation management in 1947. North Carolina State University also became one of the first colleges or universities to obtain national accreditation for park and recreation under the Council on Accreditation for Park, Recreation, and Tourism (COAPRT) in 1977. Hines developed Rho Phi Alpha, the first honorary fraternity for park and recreation management students at NC State, preparing many accomplieced professionals who have become leaders throughout the profession and NRPA.
Hines was also deeply involved apart from NC State University. Hines served on the board of directors for the Society of Park and Recreation Educators, American Inatitute of Park Executives, and the American Recreation Society; Serverd as President of the North Carolina Recreation and Park Society and North Carolina Health and Physical Education Association; and maintained memberships within the National Recreation and Park Association, National Industrial Recreation Association, and was inducted into the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration.
Hines was committed to the purpose of life-long learning and developing professionals that would remain within parks and recreation. As a service to the industry, Hines partnered NC State University with Oglebay National Training Center and NRPA to found Revenue Mangement School and later other management schools geared toward elevating park and recreation professionals by providing them with relevant skills and credentials to further their careers. A scholarship fund remains in honor of his development of the Revenue Management School, still offering students resources to obtain further education.