Who Is John C. Hitt? Meet The Man Behind The 激情快播 Evolution.

Who Is John Hitt?

For a quarter century, President John C. Hitt worked to put 激情快播 on the map. But who is the man behind the evolution?

Summer 2018 | By Laura J. Cole

If you鈥檙e looking for a traditional profile of a president, this isn鈥檛 it.

Chances are that if you鈥檝e lived in Central Florida at any point during the past 26 years, you鈥檝e heard about President John Hitt and what he鈥檚 done to transform 激情快播 and the region.

In preparation for this article, I read and watched nearly two dozen features about Hitt. In almost all of them, he speaks at length about the people of 激情快播 and what we鈥檝e all achieved together. He talks about the accomplishments he鈥檚 most proud of, how many students are enrolled here (now more than 66,000) and what they go on to achieve.

What I found less of is the man behind the curtain. He鈥檚 naturally private, perhaps the result of years of knowing it鈥檚 more important to talk about 激情快播 than his life, knowing it makes it easier to accomplish what he wants. And, with the help of many people, he鈥檚 been able to achieve some pretty difficult things, many of which naysayers said 激情快播 would never be able to.

During five interviews over the course of as many days in late March and early April, Hitt talked a good deal about 激情快播. He鈥檚 retiring from the presidency on June 30, and naturally he鈥檚 taking stock of the 26 years he鈥檚 spent leading the university鈥檚 growth. But in his office on the third floor of Millican Hall, he also opened up.

A colorized black and white photo of young white boy with blonde hair, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks wears a brown button-up shirt.

You could say to know someone, you need to know who they鈥檝e been.

To know Hitt, you鈥檇 have to go back to Houston in 1940 鈥� the year he was born. On his first birthday, the Japanese dropped bombs on Pearl Harbor and changed the course of the United States鈥� involvement in the war.

As a result, while Hitt was still just a small child, his father and uncle made a pact that whoever wasn鈥檛 drafted would take care of the other鈥檚 family. Hitt鈥檚 father, a typographer and printer by trade, was the one who stayed behind. For several years, young John Charles grew up in a nice house with his cousin, Bill (who was only a month and two days younger than Hitt), his aunt and his parents. When his uncle returned, Hitt and his parents moved into a house of their own, a house that wasn鈥檛 as nice or as big as that house with Bill, but it was a good house in a decent part of town.

In Texas in the 1950s, the legal driving age was 14. 鈥淣ot the most sensible, if you think about being 14 and driving,鈥� Hitt says. But still, only a year later, he would become the man of the household when his father died of a heart attack, leaving him and his mother behind.

A black and white photo of a young, shirtless, white boy sitting next to an older white man, who has his arm around the younger boy, on the steps.

Hitt didn鈥檛 think about it at the time, but his mother was a remarkable woman. She was someone who, when people told her she couldn鈥檛 do something, would say, 鈥淔or a quarter, you can watch.鈥�

As a bindery worker, she met her husband because they were both in the same business: printing. And in the 1950s, when it was less common for women to have professions, she not only worked in but also ran the family business.

Hitt grew up working in that shop. Before he passed away, his father had Hitt work weekends. He may have been the owners鈥� son, but he didn鈥檛 get all the glory work. On Saturdays, for example, it was Hitt鈥檚 responsibility to melt the used linotype 鈥� lines of words in single strips of metal 鈥� in a big, old iron pot, and pour it into 25-pound ingots.

鈥淔or a good while, I thought I wanted to learn enough about running the printing shop so I could take that over for mom,鈥� Hitt says. 鈥淎nd based on some suggestions I had from others, I thought for a little while about becoming a minister. I don鈥檛 have the personality for that, so that ended that.鈥�

What he never thought of becoming while growing up 鈥� what he had no concept of even being a profession 鈥� was a university president. The idea of college was foreign to Hitt. His mother had finished high school but had never gone to college. And his father didn鈥檛 have the choice to go, as he had to drop out of high school and work to pay for his mother鈥檚 medical bills when she became ill.

A black and white photo of man in academic regalia, including cap, gown and hood, standing next to an older woman.

But Hitt鈥檚 mom would push him to go to college because it was his father鈥檚 dream, and dreams are worth pursuing.

And so in 1958, Hitt enrolled in Austin College, a small, private liberal arts college, more than 300 miles away from his home and his mother and everyone he knew in Houston. There, he played football, met the professor who would change the trajectory of his career and fell in love with the woman who would become his wife.

Growing up, Hitt was a big kid, which in Texas meant not only that you played football but also that you played tackle. When asked to describe how he was as a player, he replies, 鈥淥ne word: mediocre.鈥� But there was that one great game. His team was trailing, and he had gotten so annoyed with the opposing player who kept holding him that he ran right through him and tackled the quarterback, forcing a fumble. Hitt鈥檚 teammate recovered the ball, and the Austin College Kangaroos won the game.

When Hitt started at Austin College, he didn鈥檛 know what he wanted to study, but one semester he needed a course, so he signed up for a psychology class because he鈥檇 heard the professor was a good lecturer. It was a big class for the small school 鈥� maybe 40 to 50 students, by Hitt鈥檚 estimate. That professor would impact Hitt鈥檚 life in ways he hadn鈥檛 expected.

鈥淲hat we tell one another about those experiences between professors and students happens to be true,鈥� Hitt says. 鈥淚t was a life-changing experience. Bill [Angermeier] and I were master and apprentice, essentially, and he encouraged me to go to graduate school. He was a major force for good in my life.鈥�

Suddenly, Hitt knew what he wanted. He wanted to be like Angermeier, the man who gave him the opportunity to work in his lab and assist him on research projects. Angermeier became his mentor, encouraging Hitt to pursue a master鈥檚 and doctorate in physiological psychology. He was also Hitt鈥檚 best man at his wedding and a lifelong friend.

A close-up portrait of an older main wearing wireframe glasses.

鈥淚n those days [the early 鈥�60s] you did not develop friendships with students,鈥� said Angermeier in an article from 1997. 鈥淸But] I would say we were friends. It was mutual admiration. He liked me as a good teacher. I liked him as a good student. 鈥� I guess you could say I liked him best.鈥�

It was also at Austin College that Hitt would meet Martha Halsted, the 鈥渧ery pretty, green-eyed blonde.鈥�

The first time they saw each other, Hitt had gone to Martha鈥檚 dorm to pick up a date. Martha was by the desk where students had to check in and out. Back then, such things were required for female co-eds.

鈥淚 looked at him and said, 鈥極h, he鈥檚 tall. He鈥檚 good-looking. He has beautiful blue eyes. Too bad he鈥檚 so young,鈥� 鈥� she says.

Martha, after all, was a junior. Hitt was only a freshman. Hitt remembers seeing her again later in line at the cafeteria and thinking, 鈥淲ow, that鈥檚 a good-looking gal.鈥�

Eventually, they ended up in a small speech class together. They got to know each other and dated for months before breaking up, as young couples often do. They were alike in so many ways 鈥� both were only children 鈥� but also so different.

鈥淚 was a not-very-good football player, and she was in the a cappella choir,鈥� Hitt says. 鈥淗er dad was a petroleum geologist, and my dad had passed away. I was the first in the family to get a degree, and Martha had members of her family who had [degrees]. A lot of differences, but enough similarities to make it work.鈥�

The split was good for them. It made them realize there was something about the relationship that was worth pursuing. Within six months of breaking up, they were engaged.

They鈥檝e now been married for 56 years and have two children and two grandsons.

鈥淪he鈥檚 been a wonderful, wonderful life partner,鈥� Hitt says.

In my interviews with Hitt, two subjects make him emotional: Martha and 激情快播.

He can鈥檛 imagine a life without her, an eventuality he鈥檇 rather not think about. And while he鈥檚 looking forward to being able to spend more time with his wife and their family, he鈥檚 also wistful about separating from a place he鈥檚 shepherded for more than a quarter of a century.

鈥淵ou know, I think anyone who鈥檚 been in a job like mine for a lot of years would be excited to have some time to himself, but I think it鈥檇 be dishonest if I said, 鈥極h, I don鈥檛 care. I鈥檓 ready to go,鈥� 鈥� he says. 鈥淧art of me would like to be staying, but I also know that鈥檚 not a reasonable thing to do.鈥�

Hitt鈥檚 health and age played a role in why he decided to step down now. At 77, he鈥檚 still sharp mentally, never missing the opportunity to inject his signature wit, but he did have a heart attack a few years back. He鈥檚 made a full recovery, but he, naturally, worries about his health.

He also stepped down because 鈥渋t was the right thing to do.鈥� The decision was not an easy one, but it was the one 激情快播 needed.

At the time, the university was in a position to potentially lose its provost, Dale Whittaker, who, after a nationwide search earlier this spring, will become 激情快播鈥檚 fifth president on July 1.

鈥淚鈥檇 had a realization that was grounded in Dale鈥檚 looking at the Iowa State presidency,鈥� he says, twisting the gold Pegasus ring on his right hand. 鈥淚鈥檓 always trying to game in my mind how things will play out, and it seemed very unlikely that I could hire the kind of person we would want to replace him if I couldn鈥檛 say that I would be here three to five more years. And I just knew I couldn鈥檛 do that.

鈥淚f you can鈥檛 do something that you know is likely to be necessary,鈥� he continues, 鈥測ou ought to get out. Do I wish to this day that I could continue? Yeah. But I know I made the right choice.鈥�

Hitt has certainly received criticism for decisions made during his tenure, including ones he wasn鈥檛 involved in. Universities by trade are full of smart people trained to be critical thinkers, and anyone in a position of leadership, especially for more than two decades, will undoubtedly upset some people along the way. He admits he鈥檚 had to make difficult decisions, especially concerning budgets, which can impact not only people鈥檚 programs but also their livelihoods. But he always tried to base those decisions on what was best for 激情快播.

鈥淎s a university president, you鈥檝e got to be known as someone who is trustworthy and reliable, and you have to have a sense of what really matters,鈥� Hitt says.

An older man stands in his office with a wide smile on his face. In front of him are three yellow labs and two black labs.

During our interviews, Hitt reminisces about what it means to be a leader and how who we are impacts what we do.

We don鈥檛 talk about it much in these interviews, but Hitt is someone who believes in America. He believes in its promise and potential. It鈥檚 a level of patriotism perhaps associated with a certain generation, but every day, Hitt places an American flag pin on his left lapel, just above a 激情快播 pin, right above his heart.

He鈥檚 a man of faith. Both he and Martha are Episcopalians, and they鈥檙e eager to find a church in their new home of Madison, Wisconsin.

He鈥檚 a self-described old-school Democrat and a Rachel Maddow-watching news junkie.

He gets as excited about new technology as anyone you鈥檒l meet. His new home has two wireless sound systems, and he wears an Apple watch on his wrist and an iPhone in a holster on his hip. Every few seconds, they buzz with the notification of new emails and messages and events.

And he鈥檚 100 percent a dog person, admitting he knows he shouldn鈥檛 let London, a golden retriever-yellow lab mix, sleep in bed with him and Martha. But he does.

I tell you these things because they鈥檙e who Hitt is, but also to say this: In a nation that is deeply divided on many topics, Hitt sees these differences as a reason to work together.

鈥淲e have an unusual situation here [at 激情快播], where people are much more likely to want to work together to solve a problem than they are to point fingers and want to fight,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檝e had the good fortune to discover that early on. That鈥檚 not to say that we always have harmony on everything.

鈥淏ut you get into a lot of trouble when you start denying free speech or people鈥檚 civil rights, period,鈥� he continues. 鈥淵es, many people are trying to push the agenda a certain way. But the best motivated among them is just saying, 鈥楲ook, this ain鈥檛 working for me.鈥� Why would you refuse someone the right to speak up? They鈥檙e asking for respect. They鈥檙e asking for you to listen to their grievance. Why wouldn鈥檛 we?鈥�

A collage of photos of Hitt with his family over the years.

As we sit in his office, you can hear the beeps and rumblings of heavy equipment and the shouts of a construction crew.

The Reflecting Pond 鈥� which you can see from the panoramic window in his office that looks out onto the John C. Hitt Library and horseshoe-shaped lawn 鈥� is being renovated.

After being drained in October, the pond is being rebuilt. The concrete base was demolished, removed and resurfaced. The fountain got new plumbing and filtration, upgraded lighting and a more efficient plumbing structure. When more than 5,000 students and alumni charge into its aquamarine waters this fall during , it鈥檒l be ready.

鈥淭hat Reflecting Pond out there, it鈥檚 a very special place for a lot of people,鈥� Hitt says, his blue eyes shining. 鈥淭here were a lot of proposals of marriage made and accepted there. In the next few weeks, we鈥檙e going to have all these kids with their caps and gowns on, knee deep in the pond. It鈥檚 so iconic.鈥�

Admittedly, when Hitt became president of 激情快播 in 1992, he didn鈥檛 realize how sentimental he鈥檇 become about a water feature. Then, the Reflecting Pond had only a single spigot, a far cry from today鈥檚 display. But as much as the main campus has changed since he started, his view of the Reflecting Pond has remained a constant.

Sure, the construction can be seen as one more way of reinforcing the common campus refrain that 激情快播 stands for 鈥淯nder Construction Forever.鈥� But, for many, it speaks to something that seems as inherent to 激情快播 as it does to the city we call home: change, growth, evolution.

Some universities have been around for centuries. This fall, 激情快播 will celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the first classes held on campus.

And for half of our history, Hitt has been leading 鈥� and encouraging 鈥� that reinvention.

A group of students rush into the water of the Reflecting Pond.