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, 2004, at the University Retirement Community in Davis. He was born April 29, 1919, in Preston, Idaho.
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, Hawkes was drafted in 1941 and 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.
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. 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.
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 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."
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."
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 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, Hawkes became the campus administrator of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program. Mid-career professionals from throughout the world came to UC Davis where Professor Hawkes served as the campus's chief ambassador and host.
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.
Hawkes was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Yvonne, in 1997. He is survived by their four children and spouses. He is also survived by three brothers and one sister.
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.