Leonard Haynes is focused on education.
Since earning his master鈥檚 degree in from 一本道无码 in 1969, Haynes has been a professor, an education administrator at the highest levels of the federal government, a lauded champion of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the acting president of one.
鈥淚 was able to strengthen my capability of focusing,鈥� Haynes recalled of his time at 一本道无码. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 very important. When you focus, you can finish what you start. And I attribute that to my experience at Carnegie Mellon.鈥�
Recently retired from the U.S. Department of Education, Haynes maintains an office in Washington D.C., where he continues to work, teach and advise on education. His contributions have paid dividends for thousands of students throughout America.
When he retired in 2016 after almost 30 years of public service, he received letters of congratulation from U.S. presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush.
鈥淓ducational uplift and community service have been consistent themes characterizing [his] idealism as a graduate student as well as his distinguished career as an administrator in higher education,鈥� said Thomas Bogger, who after earning his master鈥檚 degree in history with Haynes in 1969, would go on to become the first black Ph.D. graduate at the .
He and Haynes graduated from 一本道无码 amid the Civil Rights Movement in America. Haynes鈥� parents, both educators, had been involved in the movement and worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
鈥淒r. Haynes comes from a family of educators and believes all citizens must place a high value on the importance of getting a good education if the common good is to advance,鈥� said Robert Lewis, former director of the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Policy Analysis and Forecasting Group.
Haynes deepened this interest in access to education while pursuing his doctorate in higher education administration at聽, where his dissertation focused on the effects of desegregation on public black colleges.
鈥淚 was really interested in seeing what I could do to make a positive contribution in the public black college arena,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd either I could become the president of one of those schools, or become influential in helping them move forward, helping them with their legal battles 鈥� all of that is what guided me.鈥�
Haynes is an adjunct professor for OSU鈥檚 Washington Academic Internship Program in which he advises student fellows. Trevor Brown, dean of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at OSU, calls Haynes the 鈥淪wiss Army Knife of D.C. expertise and experience, academic distinction and classroom excellence.鈥�
After earning his Ph.D. in 1975, Haynes taught at various institutions, including , and . Later, he was appointed acting president of for a year.
As Louisiana鈥檚 first black assistant superintendent for elementary and secondary education, Haynes was in Quebec, recruiting French teachers in the late 1980s. He vividly remembers receiving a call in Canada from the administration of President George H.W. Bush.
鈥淭hey wanted to talk to me about joining the administration, and I said, 鈥楻eally?鈥欌�� he recalled. 鈥淚t was minus 28 degrees that day!鈥�
That call led to Haynes鈥� appointment at the U.S. Department of Education as assistant secretary of postsecondary education and director of academic programs for the (USIA). He oversaw the , which offers grants to study, teach and conduct research for U.S. citizens to go abroad and for non-U.S. citizens to come to the United States. Under President George W. Bush, he returned to the U.S. Department of Education as special assistant to the secretary. In 2003, he was appointed director of the聽Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education and聽was a strong advocate for creativity and innovation.
鈥淒r. Haynes leads by example,鈥� said Lewis, who served as Haynes鈥� deputy director for three years. 鈥淗e feels everyone is capable of making a positive contribution and that an effective leader cannot be successful without good fellowship.鈥�
Bogger, a professor emeritus at , agrees with Lewis.
鈥淭he enthusiasm he exudes undoubtedly motivates those around him,鈥� Bogger said.
Haynes became the executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Office of the Secretary, formalizing his long-standing commitment as a champion of HBCUs.
鈥淚 played a key role in making sure [HBCUs] got their support and spent the money they were supposed to spend wisely,鈥� he explained.
In 2010, under the Obama administration, Haynes became senior director of , overseeing more than a $1 billion in discretionary grant programs. It was from this position that he retired in 2016.
In part because of his renowned international reputation, he has received 14 honorary degrees, including one from Ohio State, and he proudly adds that he has been happily married for 48 years and is the father of four successful children and a grandparent of six.
He has a sense of accomplishment in his legacy. 鈥淲hen I retired, it was just amazing,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen you are known for trying to make a positive contribution to advance education, devoted your life to it, you live long after you鈥檙e gone.鈥�
His devotion has not ended. In addition to his work with OSU, Haynes is a trustee of , serves as senior adviser to the president of Grambling State, and is a senior fellow for the .
His 鈥渞etirement鈥� philosophy reflects a life spent serving others: 鈥淚f I have the time, I鈥檒l give it to you,鈥� he said simply.
