George E. Hearn
Encyclopedia
George Earl Hearn was from 1965-2000 a professor
of psychology
at Baptist
-affiliated Louisiana College
in Pineville
, Louisiana
, and a former two-term member of the Pineville City Council under then Mayor
Fred H. Baden
.
, where young George was active in the former Queensboro Baptist
Church, located coincidentally on Hearne Avenue and now the African American
Bright Star Baptist Church. Hearn attended public schools in Caddo Parish
and served as a signalman in the United States Navy
during World War II
. Thereafter, he began work on numerous degrees and advanced studies at three institutions in Texas
: East Texas Baptist University
in Marshall
, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
in Fort Worth
, and Baylor University
in Waco
.
At Baylor, Hearn studied under Dr. E. O. Wood, a former chairman of the psychology department at Louisiana College. The U.S. government, according to Hearn's obituary
, selected Baylor to direct research and experiments for the American space program, and Hearn was among those who worked in that endeavor Thereafter, Dr. G. Earl Guinn, as president of Louisiana College, hired Hearn to come to Pineville to develop the LC psychology department. Hearn used manpower and resources available through the Pineville-based Central Louisiana State Hospital for the mentally handicapped.
Hearn was a member of the Louisiana Psychological Association and held the designation of Psychologist Emeritus from that group. He was a former chairman of the State Board of Examiners for Psychologists and the first industrial psychologist in Louisiana. A student of history
, He was a former president of the Historical Association of Central Louisiana and was involved in various Alexandria
-Pineville preservation projects. He launched the annual Peggy Bolton Lecture Series, named for Elizabeth McClundie "Peggy" Bolton (1918–1987), the first wife of the Alexandria banker, Robert H. Bolton
.
, won the first of his two terms on the Pineville City Council from District 3, having defeated Republican
Robert A. Corley, Jr., by a 57-43 percent margin. On April 7, 1990, however, Hearn was unseated, 54-46 percent by the Republican Christian D. "Chris" Cunningham (born October 19, 1959). On March 26, 1994, Hearn won the District 3 council seat by a vote of 71-29 percent over fellow Democrat Arthur J. "Bud" Sweeney, Jr., to score a second nonconsecutive four-year term. In that same election, Cunningham was defeated in a race for mayor by Fred Baden, the last term that Baden would serve. In 1998, Hearn was unseated, 55-45 percent, by Republican Carol Jeukens Cunningham, the wife of Chris Cunningham. In 2000, Hearn unsuccessfully opposed, 66-32 percent, the Democrat Clarence R. Fields, a former city council member who became mayor in 1999 and ran for the remainder of the term vacated by Fields's predecessor, Republican Leo Deslatte, Jr. Fields, an African American who is still the Pineville mayor, expressed regret on former rival Hearn's death and said that Hearn had "served the city well."
. Gloria Hearn, a retired Pineville educator, was the Democratic candidate in Louisiana's 5th Congressional District
in 2006, having been handily defeated by the incumbent Republican Rodney Alexander
of Jackson Parish
. George Hearn was predeceased by the couple's son, George Eugene "Gene" Hearn. Services were held on September 18, 2010, at First Baptist Church in Pineville, where Hearn had long been a long-term member. Hearn was also an ordained minister and served on an interim basis at numerous area churches. He is interred at Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville.
At a ceremony in his honor upon retirement from the Louisiana College faculty, Hearn said that he encouraged students to work for the good of man and the glory of God
and that he attempted to direct his students beyond the classroom but in their "overall Christian
higher education."
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
-affiliated Louisiana College
Louisiana College
Louisiana College is a private institution of higher education located in Pineville, Louisiana, affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention, serving a student body of approximately 1,300 students. The college operates on a semester system, with two shorter summer terms...
in Pineville
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, and a former two-term member of the Pineville City Council under then Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Fred H. Baden
Fred Baden
Frederick Herman Baden, Sr., known as Fred Baden , was a Democratic mayor of Pineville, a small city across the Red River from Alexandria in Rapides Parish, Louisiana...
.
Background
Hearn was born to Thomas Watson Hearn, Sr. (1895–1962), and the former May Peters (1900–1990), who moved to ShreveportShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, where young George was active in the former Queensboro Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church, located coincidentally on Hearne Avenue and now the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Bright Star Baptist Church. Hearn attended public schools in Caddo Parish
Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Caddo Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Shreveport; as of 2000, the population was 252,161...
and served as a signalman in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Thereafter, he began work on numerous degrees and advanced studies at three institutions in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
: East Texas Baptist University
East Texas Baptist University
East Texas Baptist University is a private, coeducational Christian university in Marshall, Texas, United States associated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.- History :...
in Marshall
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention...
in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, and Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
.
At Baylor, Hearn studied under Dr. E. O. Wood, a former chairman of the psychology department at Louisiana College. The U.S. government, according to Hearn's obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
, selected Baylor to direct research and experiments for the American space program, and Hearn was among those who worked in that endeavor Thereafter, Dr. G. Earl Guinn, as president of Louisiana College, hired Hearn to come to Pineville to develop the LC psychology department. Hearn used manpower and resources available through the Pineville-based Central Louisiana State Hospital for the mentally handicapped.
Hearn was a member of the Louisiana Psychological Association and held the designation of Psychologist Emeritus from that group. He was a former chairman of the State Board of Examiners for Psychologists and the first industrial psychologist in Louisiana. A student of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, He was a former president of the Historical Association of Central Louisiana and was involved in various Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
-Pineville preservation projects. He launched the annual Peggy Bolton Lecture Series, named for Elizabeth McClundie "Peggy" Bolton (1918–1987), the first wife of the Alexandria banker, Robert H. Bolton
Robert H. Bolton
Robert Harvey Bolton, Sr. , was a prominent banker, civic leader, and Baptist layman in Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish, in central Louisiana.-Early life:...
.
Political campaigns
Hearn served by appointment on the Rapides Area Planning Commission. On May 3, 1986, Hearn, a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, won the first of his two terms on the Pineville City Council from District 3, having defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Robert A. Corley, Jr., by a 57-43 percent margin. On April 7, 1990, however, Hearn was unseated, 54-46 percent by the Republican Christian D. "Chris" Cunningham (born October 19, 1959). On March 26, 1994, Hearn won the District 3 council seat by a vote of 71-29 percent over fellow Democrat Arthur J. "Bud" Sweeney, Jr., to score a second nonconsecutive four-year term. In that same election, Cunningham was defeated in a race for mayor by Fred Baden, the last term that Baden would serve. In 1998, Hearn was unseated, 55-45 percent, by Republican Carol Jeukens Cunningham, the wife of Chris Cunningham. In 2000, Hearn unsuccessfully opposed, 66-32 percent, the Democrat Clarence R. Fields, a former city council member who became mayor in 1999 and ran for the remainder of the term vacated by Fields's predecessor, Republican Leo Deslatte, Jr. Fields, an African American who is still the Pineville mayor, expressed regret on former rival Hearn's death and said that Hearn had "served the city well."
Death and legacy
Hearn died at the age of eighty-three in Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria. He was survived by his wife, Gloria Williams Hearn (born ca. 1934), and a daughter and son-in-law, Gail Hearn Smith and Andrew Smith of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Gloria Hearn, a retired Pineville educator, was the Democratic candidate in Louisiana's 5th Congressional District
United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana, 2006
The first round of the Louisiana House election of 2006 were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. The terms of all seven Representatives to the United States House of Representatives will expire on January 3, 2007, and will be put up for contest. The winning candidates will serve a two-year term from...
in 2006, having been handily defeated by the incumbent Republican Rodney Alexander
Rodney Alexander
Rodney McKinnie Alexander is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district covers twenty-two parishes in roughly the northeast quadrant of the state...
of Jackson Parish
Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Jackson Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish was formed in 1845 from parts of Claiborne, Ouachita, and Union Parishes. In 2010, its population was 16,274. The parish seat is Jonesboro...
. George Hearn was predeceased by the couple's son, George Eugene "Gene" Hearn. Services were held on September 18, 2010, at First Baptist Church in Pineville, where Hearn had long been a long-term member. Hearn was also an ordained minister and served on an interim basis at numerous area churches. He is interred at Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville.
At a ceremony in his honor upon retirement from the Louisiana College faculty, Hearn said that he encouraged students to work for the good of man and the glory of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and that he attempted to direct his students beyond the classroom but in their "overall Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
higher education."