As Southern Illinois University Edwardsville turns 50, its senior staffer assesses its past, present—and future
By Bryan A. Hollerbach
Photograph by Richard Nichols
Nowadays, it seems few people pass 42 weeks with the same employer, let alone 42 years. Yet Larry D. Hinton has done just that at SIUE. Who better to quiz, then, about its semicentennial?
SIU Carbondale founded the facility as a simple satellite in 1957, but demand soon prompted expansion. The current 2,660-acre campus—designed by famed architect Gyo Obata—opened in the fall of 1965, just months after Hinton joined the staff as an internal auditor.
Now the director of purchasing, he thus has observed the university’s growth from its first decade. “In those days, it was strictly a commuter campus,” he says. But students clamored for more. “So we started building the residence halls ... and now we’re finishing up our fourth one. That’s changing the environment quite a bit.” A quarter of SIUE’s current 13,000-plus students live on campus, in fact, including three-quarters of new freshmen.
As Hinton reflects on the university’s history, a breeze stirs the maples outside his office on the south edge of campus, where cicadas chirr nonstop. Sylvan tranquility doesn’t reign everywhere, though.
“Our problem right now is that we’re pretty much maxed out on classroom space,” Hinton confesses. Of particular concern: advances in high tech, with their consequent demands on education, especially the science building.
Still, he’s heartened by a stronger bond between town and gown lately, and regarding SIUE’s future, Hinton lauds Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift. “I think Dr. Vandegrift’s expression is, our goal is to become a ‘premier metropolitan university.’” He pauses thoughtfully. “Those are good words.”
Of course, Hinton turned 65 in March, so he may have other matters on his mind, despite 42 years of dedication. “When I retire, well, yeah, that’s gonna be kinda tough.” With a chuckle, he adds, “But I think I’ll manage.”
Hinton’s SIUE High Points
1965 “Opening of the campus brought the opportunity for a college education to many young people in southwestern Illinois who would not have been financially able to otherwise attend college.”
1969–1980 “The Mississippi River Festival performances on campus by well-known entertainers brought a lot of cultural variety into the community. There was just an air of excitement.”
1984 Hinton and his department moved from the old Wagner plant in Edwardsville to the administration building on campus. “We could put faces with many of the faculty and staff that we knew only from phone conversations.”
The 1990s to now “Another high point is having experienced the progression of computer technology in everything we do here, not only in the business functions, but in other areas such as teaching and research.”
