Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. announced his retirement in a letter to Troy faculty and staff on Tuesday afternoon. Hawkins, a Mobile native, was named chancellor of Troy State University on September 1, 1989.  Hawkins previously served as an assistant dean at the University of Alabama at Birmingham from 1971-1979 and as president of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind from 1979-1989. Hawkins was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corp in 1967 and served as a platoon leader in Vietnam.  He was decorated with a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Below is a copy of the letter Hawkins sent to the staff and faculty of Troy University: Dear TROY Faculty and Staff: In the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1 we learn, “To everything there is a season.” During August, Janice and I enjoyed a vacation in Ireland. During the time away, I realized now is the time to take full advantage of the season of good health we are blessed to enjoy. Therefore, it is bittersweet to announce my retirement as Chancellor of Troy University, effective October 1, 2025. Beyond that date it will be my honor to serve as Chancellor Emeritus. In that role I will support the Board of Trustees and my successor in any manner they deem appropriate.  We have much to do from now until October of 2025, and while at that point we will be stepping away from the daily operations, our hearts will remain deeply rooted in Troy University. The last three and one-half decades have been among the most important in my lifetime and in the life Janice and I have shared as a Team. We are proud of the re-classification of TROY to doctoral degree status, the transformation from a regional institution into “Alabama’s International University,” and the elevation of our sports programs to the highest level of college athletics. It has truly been a remarkable experience. Sign up for our daily email newsletter Get the latest news sent to your inbox We are extremely thankful for the opportunity to have shared this journey with you, and we are grateful to the hundreds of dedicated faculty and staff with whom we have worked and the many thousands of students we have been privileged to serve. I also want to thank First Lady Janice Hawkins. She has played a critical role in any success we have enjoyed. Janice has been an integral part of the beautification of the Troy Campus and so much more. Troy University is a special place—a global institution with a unique “culture of caring.” I am grateful to have been a part of this University’s growth and success, and to quote Dr. Ralph Adams’ words of 1989, “The Best is yet to be.” I am convinced that the greatest days are ahead for this extraordinary University. Sincerely, Jack Hawkins, Jr., Ph.D. Chancellor