Faculty

A.C. "Buddy" Himes, Ph.D.



Dr. Addison Choate Himes is Director of the School of Music at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL), largest of the University of Louisiana System's nine universities, where he has held the rank of Professor since his appointment in 1995. Under his leadership, the School of Music has become the fastest growing department at UL, having increased in enrollment by almost 30% during his tenure. This success has attracted almost $.5 million in Louisiana Educational Quality Support Fund (LEQSF) grants, and $.4 million in improvements to the facilities of the School of Music. Dr. Himes has also proposed a $2.2 million construction project for a recording studio, percussion wing, and recital hall which has been approved by the university to be constructed in 2000. Himes is also the principal advocate for the Dr. Tommy Comeaux Chair, a $1 million endowment dedicated to the study and preservation of Cajun and other forms of traditional American music.

Dr. Himes' professional activities at UL have not been limited to advocacy for the School of Music. Thorough publication in professional journals he has distinguished himself as an authority on administration in higher education. Consequently, he is regularly solicited by publishers to contribute articles and cited by other authors on administrative topics. His administrative capabilities were also affirmed by his peers at UL when they elected him as Chair of the Council of Department Heads in 1998.

Prior to coming to UL, Himes was Chairman of the Music Department at Louisiana College (LC) where he acted as the principal advocate for a $2.3 million renovation project for LC's fine arts building which he saw to completion in 1994 prior to his appointment at UL. Notable achievements in this position included securing gifts from various foundations including the Kawai Educational Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the Presser Foundation.

In terms of community service, Himes was elected to membership and serves on the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Lafayette. In 1999 he was awarded the Rotary Vocational Excellence Award as the member who most exemplified Rotary principals in their professional careers. While at Louisiana College, he was active with the Alexandria Lion's Club where he was also elected to the board, selected as Lion of the Year in 1995, and awarded the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship by the club's membership. Apart from his duties at UL, he has risen to a vantage point of state and national visibility, being twice appointed to the Music Grant Review Board of the Louisiana Division of the Arts in Baton Rouge, and being twice elected by his counterparts as Chairman of the Louisiana Music Executives of Higher Education. In 1998 he was elected to office in the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) as Vice Chair, Region Nine, having previously been elected in 1995 as Secretary for the organization.

Dr. Himes' biography was selected for inclusion in the third edition of Who's Who Among American Teachers, the 1997 edition of the International Who's Who of Professionals, and the 26th edition of Who's Who in the South and Southwest.

See also: Director's Welcome