Alumni Profile
John Hine (’53) Distinguished Alumnus
According to John Hine (’53), success in school equals success in life, and he credits much of his own personal success to his experience at Darlington. “I attended Darlington for seven years in grades 6-12; the school was smaller and it was a simpler time then,” he said. “I was exposed every school day to a group of outstanding teachers and administrators who had dedicated their lives to the education of young men. It was the collective influence of men like Dr. Wilcox, Dr. Wright, Mr. Judd, Mr. Bull Yankee, Mr. Dick Yankee, Mr. King, Mr. Ham, Mr. Moser, Mr. Cobb, Dr. Stukes, Mr. Lynn, Mr. Dorsey, Mr. Milligan, Mr. Sammons, Mr. Williams, Mr. Mudd, Mr. Scott, Mr. McNaull, Mr. Cunningham and others that really shaped our lives.” Last September, nearly six decades after his graduation from Darlington, Hine was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award for his significant contributions to both the school and the Rome community. “It never occurred to me that I might be selected as a recipient of this award, and I shall always treasure the honor,” he said. “This school has been so important to me and my family. I did not recognize it at the time [I was a student], but I now know that the education I received and the culture of the school has had a profoundly positive influence upon my life.” A native Roman, Hine graduated with honors from both Darlington School and the Georgia Institute of Technology. After college, he served two years of active duty as an officer in the United States Army. He then began working for Trend Industries, where he became senior vice president for manufacturing. In 1973, he left Trend to establish Pharr Yarns of Georgia, where he served as executive vice president and president for 23 years.
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Alumni Council President Tim Morgan (’87) and Headmaster Tom Whitworth present John Hine (’53) with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. “After graduating from Darlington, I needed to find a way to finance my continued education,” Hine said. “Georgia Tech had a five-year cooperative education program where you work three months and go to school three months. The textile industry was strong in Rome and Burlington Industries offered me a co-op job opportunity. That was my initiation into the world of manufacturing.” Professionally, Hine has served as director of the Georgia Textile Manufacturer’s Association, a director and member of the Executive Committee of the American Yarn Spinners Association, and as president of the Textile Education Foundation. A model servant leader, his civic commitments have included membership to and service on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club, Coosa Valley Fair Association, the Exchange Club, the Exchange Club Family Resource Center, Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, Habitat for Humanity, the Open Door Children’s Home, Redmond Park Hospital and the United Way. He is also past chairman of the board of Citizen’s First Bank. In
addition, Hine is an active member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, where he has served as Sunday School teacher, chairman of the Stewardship and Property Committees, and as junior and senior warden. “I have always had a desire to help less fortunate children and to give back some of what I have received in life, and I have tried to do that,” Hine said. For his service and dedication, Hine has received the Boys & Girls Club’s Man and Boy Award, the Boys Club of America Medallion, the Bronze Keystone Award, the Service to Youth Award, the National Keystone Award and the National Service to Youth Award; the Heart of the Community’s Award of Honor and Board of Governors Award; the Exchange Club’s Exchangite of the Year Award and Katie Dempsey Star Volunteer Award; and was inducted into the Academy of Georgia Tech Distinguished Alumni. He and his wife, the former Sylvia Street, have been married 52 years. They have three children, Judy Beecham (’77), Susie Duke (’79) and John Jr., and seven grandchildren.
Darlington Magazine