University Times

Former long-time Pitt senior administrator Jack E. Freeman died Jan. 24, 2012, at home in Lansdowne, Va., following an unexpected, brief illness. He was 80.

Freeman came to Pitt in 1967 when newly appointed Chancellor Wesley W. Posvar hired him as his executive assistant for fiscal management. Posvar was Freeman’s mentor and friend at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Over the next 23 years, Freeman served in a number of high-ranking administrative positions here, including serving as secretary to the Board of Trustees beginning in 1969, vice chancellor for Planning and Budget beginning in 1974, senior vice chancellor for administration  beginning in 1979 and executive vice president beginning in 1986.

Freeman also served as the second president of the Johnstown campus, 1971-74.

He resigned from the University in 1990 after Posvar announced plans to retire. Pitt trustees awarded Freeman the title of emeritus executive vice president.

A native of Fort Worth, Tex., Freeman earned his BA and MA degrees in political science at Baylor University. He earned his PhD in higher education administration at Pitt in 1977.

Following graduation from Baylor in 1954, Freeman joined the United States Air Force (USAF) and became a second lieutenant serving as a counter-intelligence officer in the Office of Special Investigations. He was stationed in Germany, supporting NATO and specializing in Middle East information-gathering networks and data analysis.

In 1959, he was appointed as assistant professor in the political science department of the USAF Academy in Colorado, teaching international politics and American government, rising to the rank of captain then major. Freeman served in the Pentagon 1964-67 as executive assistant to the undersecretary of the Air Force. He resigned his commission when he came to Pitt in 1967.

Former Provost Donald M. Henderson said: “Jack Freeman was a great guy to work with. He was a good, contributing, supportive, generous colleague and an excellent administrator. His actions/decisions were informed  first by what he felt benefited the University — he was first and foremost concerned about the welfare of the University of Pittsburgh and its faculty, staff, students and community. He ran his shop with this overarching objective in mind.”

Henderson, who retired from Pitt in 1993, continued: “Jack was straightforward, honest, intellectually courageous and gutsy in carrying out his responsibilities. He was a good friend off and on the job. I had enormous respect for him as a colleague, administrator and friend. He was trustworthy and loyal and you could always count on him to do the right thing.

“He made an enormous contribution to the advancement of the University as its executive vice president and those of us who worked with him benefited greatly because of his presence.  We’re all made poorer by his passing,” Henderson said.

Freeman’s son David M. Freeman, also an Air Force veteran, said, “Dad put his family above all and gave his complete heart and soul to the well-being of all he touched. Dad was an educator, administrator and a leader in his field [who would] acknowledge others for their contributions before himself. He was a man that would always go the extra mile and give all he had to help others no matter what the problem was. He could light up a room with his laughter and candor, and give encouragement when needed to help you on your way.”

After leaving Pitt in 1990, Freeman was named executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Temple, followed by executive vice president at Penn and executive vice president at Cornell. He also worked as a higher education management consultant until 2006.

In addition to his son David, Freeman is survived by his wife, Betty Hawling Freeman; his sons Jack R. Freeman and Mark R. Freeman; his daughter Melissa Emanuele; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren, and his brother, Bob A. Freeman.

—Peter Hart