In Memoriam: John F. Heflin, 1941-2014 John F. Heflin, Ph.D. died April 11, 2014 after a valiant 15 year fight against heart disease. Born in Sweetwater, Texas, April 7, 1941, he was the son of Willis Heflin and Espanola (Samples) Heflin. He graduated from high school in Hobbs, NM and had an outstanding career as a basketball and baseball player at New Mexico Highlands University. Graduating from NMHU in 1963 with a B.A. in Political Science and History, Heflin took a position in a management training program for a large food corporation and later worked as a cartographer with the U.S. Department of the Interior/Bureau of Land Management. He returned to NMHU to complete an M.A. degree majoring in educational administration in 1971, Heflin’s strong desire to work in professional education led him to move to Merced, California where he was employed as a teacher and coach with the Merced Union High School District. After five years with the MUHSD, Heflin was selected as a fellow with the Ford Foundation Leadership Development Program. The Ford Fellowship incorporated graduate study at the University of California-Berkeley’s Institute for School Desegregation Problems and graduate study at Stanford University, where he was subsequently selected for a position as administrative assistant to the Dean of the School of Education. In this role he implemented the first program to diversify masters and doctoral students at Stanford University School of Education. Following his completion of doctoral studies at Stanford, Heflin was employed as a coordinator/specialist for equal education opportunity programs at the Oregon State Education Agency. He also served as member of the Oregon State Superintendent’s task force to develop the Oregon Action Plan for Excellence in Education (Oregon’s response to A Nation at Risk). Specializing in education policy analysis, organization and administration, and sociology of education, Heflin began a career at Portland State University in 1976. At PSU, he was a member of the faculty group which designed and implemented a joint PSU/University of Oregon original doctoral program in Educational Leadership. During his PSU career, Heflin was on the Board of Directors and Education Chairman for the NAACP – Portland Branch; a charter member of the Oregon Association for Multicultural Education; an organizing member of the Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs (a statewide political action organization); and a charter member/Secretary for Oregon Chapter of the National Alliance of Black School Educators. Heflin also served as chairman of the PortlandMultnomah County Human Rights Commission. Heflin was elected to two terms as national chairman of Research Focus on Black Education (American Educational Research Association), chaired the American Educational Research Association’s (Division A) affirmative action committee, and was a member of the editorial board of the Educational Researcher (AERA’s monthly publication). He also served on the executive board of the National Urban Education Association, and Board of Consultants for The Journal of International Reform. During his career Heflin served in several administrative positions: administrative assistant to the dean of Stanford University’s School of Education; Equity Programs Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Education; Portland State University department chairperson; and Kent State University department chairperson. Owing to his family values and the cultural context of his socialization to adulthood, Heflin became committed at an early age to the values of equity, equal educational opportunity, and social justice. These values are reflected throughout his academic scholarship and civic commitments. Professor Heflin, a gifted and enthusiastic teacher, attracted large numbers of students to his classes. He loved teaching and it was expressed in his everyday life. Even in retirement, he often used every opportunity to explain and educate. John is survived by his wife of 51 years, Anita; and sons Kyle of Portland, Oregon and Jonathan of Boston, Massachusetts, and extended family. --Vic Dahl, Emeritus Professor of History
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