A lifetime at Trevecca: Jim Hiatt retires after 43 years

By Jasmin Enriquez Martinez

Features Editor

During the summer, a young Jim Hiatt worked as a student building the roof for the university president’s home and digging drainage for Trevecca’s baseball field. 

After 43 years at the university, he is retiring from the place he once helped build.

“It’s almost like abandoning the biggest part of my life,” said Hiatt, associate provost and dean of the Skinner School of Business. 

Hiatt is set to retire later in June. 

He began as a Trevecca student in the 1970s earning his bachelors in business administration. He also earned a law degree from University of Tennessee and his masters at Middle Tennessee State University. During his time at Trevecca, Hiatt has helped create multiple programs in his department. 

Before working at Trevecca, Hiatt practiced law at a firm in downtown Nashville. 

After the business professor that taught him as a student retired, he took the opportunity to teach adjunct business law.

He found it enjoyable but his law firm became demanding and busy working six days a week leading to him taking a break from teaching for a year. 

Hiatt then received an offer to teach again this time as a full time professor. 

He continued to rise in position from interim department chair to dean. 

“When I first came, I thought I would probably teach again a handful of years and go back into business,” said Hiatt. 

However, the people and relationships created made him stay, he said. 

Hiatt’s connection to Trevecca goes beyond his role. Over the decades, he’s seen the campus grow and change as a student and faculty member.

Hiatt reminisces about his past remembering there being no notable entrance to campus and eating at the cafeteria downstairs in Bud Robinson. 

Although he’s been through so much change, it didn’t all happen at once.

Greg Runyan, associate professor and chair of the department of business, describes Hiatt the same as he was back in school, kind and open. 

“I hate to see him go, but I’m glad he can go while he’s healthy and well,” said Runyan. “He’s still got a lot of stuff, good things to do, but I’ll miss him, that’s for sure.” 

Runyan sees Hiatt as someone who wants the best for everyone. 

“He’s very student-centered. He always wants what’s best for the student,” said Runyan.

During Hiatt’s time at Trevecca, he enjoyed the business club competitions and traveling with his students watching them succeed.

“We would have state competitions where TRECA students, business students, would compete with other business students from the colleges in the state,” said Hiatt. 

Hiatt will miss the people and connections created. 

“I hope to be able to come back, maybe have lunch occasionally on campus and see some people,” he said. 

However, Hiatt has plenty of things to keep him busy when he retires. 

He hopes to be outdoors more doing hikes and fishing. 

He also wants to travel with his wife Judy Hiatt, now retired assistant to the provost and academic affairs. 

Jim and Judy met on campus eventually asking her out in March 1987 and proposing three weeks later and getting married three months later, according to TrevEchoes. 

Judy is excited to retire together with her husband Jim. 

“He’s a pretty giving person,” said Judy. “When we have storms in the neighborhood and he’ll get our yard cleaned up and then he’ll ask the neighbors, ‘Do you need me to come over and help you cut down the trees?’” 

Judy says that it will feel different to have both of them at home but looks forward to it. 

From teaching as a professor to becoming associate provost and dean, Jim carries a lot of memories with students.

“The first 35 years or so, I taught in the classroom. And then, of course, the last several, probably about the last eight, I’ve been more on the administration side and rarely taught,” said Jim. “But even still this has been the biggest part of my life.”