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Hank Haines

Harry "Hank" Albert Haines was born on May 22, 1926, in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. In 1928, he moved with his family to Blytheville, Mississippi County, Arkansas.

In 1943, Haines joined the United States Army Air Corps and began his studies at the University of North Carolina. The following year, he was called to active duty and deployed to the Pacific during World War II. Upon his discharge from the military, Haines completed a degree in journalism and later earned a master's degree at Memphis State University.

After completing his undergraduate studies, Haines returned to Blytheville to work for his father's newspaper, the Courier News. During his career with the newspaper, he more than doubled the readership and began offering a second edition. Haines was known for his editorials. He was active in Arkansas politics, working in Dale Bumpers's gubernatorial campaign and in Bill Clinton's campaign for attorney general. Bumpers appointed Haines to the Arkansas State Board of Education, where he served for thirteen years.

Haines volunteered in the Blytheville community as a scoutmaster and as a football coach for the local public schools. In 1983, after a thirty-three-year career, Haines sold the Courier News. He moved to Memphis and later to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he continued to write for the local newspaper.

Haines passed away on January 31, 2016.