Diether Haenicke
Encyclopedia
Dr. Diether H. Haenicke was a president of Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....

 in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...

. Haenicke had previously served as president from 1985–1998 and as an interim president from 2006–2007.

On August 15, 2006, the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Haenicke as interim president, immediately after voting to fire president Judith Bailey.

Haenicke had stepped down from the presidency in 1998 and continued to teach foreign languages until 2004. A large building on campus, Haenicke Hall, is named for him. Haenicke received his doctorate, magna cum laude, in 1962 from the University of Munich.

Haenicke served as the interim president of Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....

 from September, 2006, following the firing of then-president Judith Bailey by the WMU board of directors until the tenure of John Dunn
John Dunn (university president)
John M. Dunn is the eighth president of Western Michigan University. Dunn earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Northern Illinois University, and he earned an Ed.D. in physical education from Brigham Young University....

 began in July, 2007.

Haenicke died aged 73 on February 15, 2009, in Kalamazoo, from complications following a head injury sustained in December 2008 when he went into cardiac arrest while giving a speech.

Appearance on Home Improvement

In 1995, Haenicke made a cameo appearance in one episode of the sitcom Home Improvement, starring Tim Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...

 who is a 1976 graduate of WMU. In that episode, Haenicke played himself, and presented Allen's character, Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, with an honorary doctorate.

The Home Improvement episode would prove to be prophetic, for Allen would actually later be awarded an honorary doctor of fine arts degree by WMU in 1998. However, Haenicke did not present Allen's degree this time, because he would also receive his own honorary degree during the same ceremony.

External links

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