THE LEGACY OF DR. MELVENE DRAHEIM HARDEE

NOVEMBER 30, 1913 - DECEMBER 16, 1994

Dr. Melvene Draheim Hardee was born in Iowa to Hazle Howe Draheim and Arthur Draheim, Sr. The oldest of four children, she had fond memories of growing up in the small town of Clarion.

Dr. Hardee earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Iowa, a Master of Arts from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Before joining Florida State University, Dr. Hardee served as a visiting professor at the University of Northern Iowa and at the University of Mississippi. From 1945 to 1948, she was director of the communications laboratory and chair of faculty advising at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. In 1948 she became the first coordinator of university counseling and advisement at Florida State University. She married Tom Hardee and they purchased a 95-acre farm near Valdosta, Georgia.

In 1958, Dr. Hardee joined with Dr. W. Hugh Stickler and Dr. Raymond Schultz in the formation of the Department of Higher Education. She became a full professor in 1959 and held that position until her retirement from full time teaching in 1985. During that time, Dr. Hardee served as major advisor to 123 doctoral candidates as well as committee member to many more, and supervised the work of more than 120 masters degree students. She was known to all as "The Mentor" and created the "Life Net" for her students, a support network that began during graduate studies and extended into professional careers.

In 1977, Dr. Hardee founded the Center for Studies of Women in Educational Management Systems to identify and solve problems of women who aspired to be higher education administrators through professional development, activities, and resource materials. When she retired in 1989, the center was renamed the Melvene Draheim Hardee Center for Women in Higher Education in recognition of her vision for the center and her advocacy for women.

Dr Hardee was prominent in the field of student personnel administration. She served as president of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) from 1962-1964, and a charter member and subsequent president of the Southern Association of College Student Administrators (SACSA) from 1955-1958. In 1986, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) named its dissertation of the year award in her honor and later SACSA named its Dissertations of the Year award in her honor. In 1987, she was named a Senior Scholar by ACPA. In 1988, she received the Robert H. Schaffer Award from NASPA for her personal inspiration to graduate students, service on doctoral committees, and distinguished record of scholarly achievement.

A person of many interests and unflagging energy, every weekend Dr. Hardee drove the 89 miles to her farm using one of her "High Noon Farm" trucks. She oversaw the production of soybeans, corn, cabbages, watermelon, hay, cotton, and trees. Over the years she terraced and fenced the land, developing waterways and fish ponds. In 1979 Dr. Hardee was named Georgia's Alapaha District "Farm Man of the Year" for conservation practice on what was now a 877-acre farm. In 1989, she received the Alapaha District Conservationist of the Year Award.

Twice a year, Dr. Hardee returned home to Clarion, Iowa where she founded and was part-time curator of a museum housing a history of the state. She established the Draheim Memorial Library in memory of her parents.

The Hardee Center for Women in Higher Education

Through the efforts of Dr. Melvene Draheim Hardee, The Hardee Center for Women in Higher Education was established at Florida State University in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in 1977 in order to provide coordination, direction and focus in the areas of promoting women in management and administrative positions in higher education.

In 2004, the Hardee Center for Women in Higher Education and the Center for the Study of Values in College Student Development merged. This merger was implemented to consolidate programs and resources, and to advance the closely related core purposes of the two centers. The newly merged Center was named the Hardee Center for Leadership and Ethics in Higher Education to reflect a commitment to continue the legacy of Dr. Melvene Hardee and to incorporate a focus on ethics and leadership.

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Tradition

At every Hardee Center event, we make it a point to include chocolate chip cookies as our dessert. This is a long-held tradition of the Hardee Center that began at the first meeting of the former Board of Governors (now the Board of Advisors) in 1989. This first meeting, consisting of all women who agreed to sponsor graduate assistantships through the Hardee Center, was held at the Center for Professional Development. Mary Pankowski, the Director of the Hardee Center at the time, ordered chocolate chip cookies from the Center for Professional Development's catering service. They baked some wonderful chocolate chip cookies. Eating the cookies turned into a bonding experience for the Board of Governors, who decided chocolate chip cookies should be served at all Hardee events.

The Life Net
 

Many higher education professionals throughout the country remember Dr. Hardee for her establishment of the FSU Higher Education "Life Net," a support system that continues throughout graduates' professional years. She is fondly remembered by her students for her homegrown watermelons, infamous marker, and depth of caring about them as people, academics, and professionals.

Directors of the Hardee Center
 

1977 - 1989	Dr. Melvene Hardee (Center for Women in Educational Management Systems)
1989 - 1994	Dr. Mary Pankowski
1994 - 2001	Dr. Barbara Mann
2001 - 2002	Dr. Jon Dalton
2002 - 2004	Dr. Beverly Bower
2004 - present	Dr. Jon Dalton