Not many people at Hillsdale College can say they used a typewriter, let alone that they sat in the back of a van typing stats on one.
Executive Assistant to the Director of Athletics Jeanie Adams, however, has done both of these things. With 45 years of service, she is the longest-serving staff member at the college.
This April, Adams will be retiring from her position in the athletics department to spend more time with her family, especially her six grandchildren, who live nearby.
“I love my job, I love Hillsdale College, and I had no desire to change,” Adams said. “It’s always been a happy place.”
Adams said the change that stands out the most is the growth of the college, not only in student body but also in staffing and sports. Hired a week after graduating from International Business College in Fort Wayne, Ind., Adams said she never even applied for jobs anywhere but Hillsdale.
Growing up in Reading, Mich., meant that Hillsdale was close to home for Adams, but she recalls that she “didn’t know that Hillsdale College existed” until her high school literature teacher brought her to see a Hillsdale play.
Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said that Adams has been promoted several times in her near half-century of work, adding that she “does whatever has to be done to make things work.”
Péwé said that Adams makes the department stronger.
“She’s been a steady force over the last 45 years,” he said. “She’s provided the athletic department with stability. It’s certainly a long time for anyone to work in a department.”
Adams has gained experience throughout the years, not only at her job, but with the college and its people. She has worked for five athletic directors since 1970 and says the knowledge she has acquired from her bosses has been unmeasurable.
Director of Athletics Don Brubacher, a college employee for six years, said that Adams likes to keep a low profile but has great perspective and makes logical decisions.
“She knows so many people and their position within the college,” Brubacher said. “She helps a new person like me connect with lots of entities around campus.”
According to Brubacher, “family is at the center of her life,” and that close bond is of utmost importance to Adams. She has weekly family dinners on Sunday and goes on a family vacation each summer.
Adams said she will miss her “Hillsdale family” the most when she retires, but does look forward to spending time with her biological family.
“I have no big plans,” she said.
As of yet, no one has been hired for Adams’ position in the athletic department.
“You don’t replace someone like Jeanie,” Brubacher said.
