Glenn Rogers Hawkes, a long-time administrator at UC Davis and an early developer of Project Head Start, died of natural causes on March 9 at the University Retirement Community in Davis. Born April 29, 1919, in Preston, Idaho, Professor Hawkes was the sixth of 11 children born to William and Rebecca Hawkes of Preston.

Professor Hawkes provided leadership for applied social sciences at UC Davis for more than two decades and then, after retirement in 1989, devoted the next several years to nurturing an international exchange between foreign professionals and students and UC Davis.

Reared in rural Idaho on a homestead farm, Hawkes remembered his family raising dry-farmed wheat, corn and livestock. After being drafted in 1941, Professor Hawkes served as a counselor in the U.S. Army during World War II. He returned to college after his military service to complete undergraduate work in psychology at Utah State University. He went on to complete a doctorate in educational psychology from Cornell University in 1950.

Professor Hawkes then taught about child socialization, disadvantaged families and adult development at Iowa State University for 16 years, serving as head of the child development department for much of that time. While in Iowa, he received a faculty citation for distinguished service and outstanding teaching.

He was also involved in the creation of Project Head Start, a major program in President Johnson's War on Poverty in the mid 1960s. Professor Hawkes traveled to remote communities to help organize the program that was devoted to giving young children a better start in school. Besides setting up programs to help poor children learn to read and write, Professor Hawkes remembered teaching their parents to ask questions and work with local physicians to get help.

Professor Hawkes joined the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis in 1966 as an associate dean, representing the social sciences and humanities within the college.

His arrival coincided with a growing appreciation among both scholars and the public that agriculture impacted the community, said Charles Hess, who was dean of the college for much of Professor Hawkes' tenure as an administrator.

"Glenn Hawkes was a champion for the faculty that dealt with social aspects and impacts of agriculture upon people and their communities," Hess said. "He was always reminding us that we needed to pay more attention to our ability to apply social theories to improving the lives of people."

Professor Hawkes was also legendary for his rapport with students as well as his warmth and collegiality with staff and faculty.

"He had a very warm heart and students would seek him out," Hess said. "When students came to the dean's office, they knew to ask for him because Glenn was so receptive and understanding."

Professor Hawkes later left the dean's office to go into full-time teaching and research in the Department of Applied Behavioral Sciences and chaired that department in the mid-1980s through a difficult transition. The department was eventually renamed the Department of Human and Community Development in 1992.

One of his colleagues, Professor Emerita Emmy Werner, remembers that Professor Hawkes was great adviser to students who chose to focus on gerontology in the department's newly minted human development doctoral program.

After he retired in 1989, Professor Hawkes became the campus administrator of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program, sponsored by the U.S. Information Agency. Mid-career professionals from throughout the world came to UC Davis where Professor Hawkes served as the campus's chief ambassador and host.

Professor Hawkes was the author of four books and numerous other professional publications. He also loved to travel and spent time in 62 countries and all 50 states.

Professor Hawkes was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Yvonne, in 1997. He is survived by their four children and spouses, Kristen Hawkes, William and Dorothy Hawkes, Gregory and Mary Hawkes, and Valon and Laura (Hawkes) Cross; four grandchildren, Thomas and Sara Hawkes and Aleta and Mackenzie Cross; and three great grandchildren, Daniela and Shay Hawkes and Liam Stelly-Hawkes. He is also survived by three brothers, George, Reed and Grant and one sister, Marilou (Hawkes) Moser.

A memorial open house will be held noon-2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 28, in the auditorium at the University Retirement Community, 1515 Shasta Drive, Davis.

Professor Hawkes was an active participant at International House in Davis and served on its board of directors. The family requests donations to International House, 10 College Park, Davis, in lieu of flowers.