JYM Remembers Dr. Diether Haenicke

Diether Haenicke, former president of Western Michigan University, passed away February 2009. Dr. Haenicke's relationship to JYM and Wayne State University began fifty years ago.

As a doctoral student at LMU Munich in 1959 he was hired by WSU Prof. Carl Colditz, JYM's Resident Director 1959-60, to teach German language and literature. It was in Munich and through JYM that he met his future bride, Carol Colditz, to whom he would be married 46 years. When Wayne State opened its second Junior Year in Germany program in Freiburg in 1961, Haenicke moved to Freiburg to work for the new program as an instructor. After earning his doctorate from LMU Munich in 1962, he came to Wayne State as a Fulbright Fellow, where he was an assistant professor in German from 1963-65. He returned to Germany in 1965 as Resident Director of the Junior Year in Freiburg program, and served the following year as Resident Director of JYM 1966-67.

Haenicke emigrated to the US in 1967 and joined the German faculty at Wayne State University. He served again as resident director of the Junior Year in Freiburg program 1969-70, and was Program Director of both Junior Year in Germany programs from 1970-75. During this period he advanced quickly within the university administration: 1971 he was appointed Chair of the Department of Romance and Germanic Languages and Literatures, received tenure 1972, was appointed Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts 1972-75, and subsequently appointed Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs 1975-78. Haenicke left Wayne State in 1978 to become Dean of the College of Humanities at Ohio State University 1978-82 and then Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs 1982-85.

In 1985 he accepted an offer to become President of Western Michigan University where he served until his retirement in 1998. He came out of retirement when called upon to serve Western Michigan University as interim president 2006-07.

Junior Year in Munich · Wayne State University
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