FSU Pioneers | Page 27

Nearly 125 years later, Dr. Helen Heineman would be appointed as the first woman president of Framingham State College. She served briefly as interim president from 1996 until her inauguration in 1999. Heineman began her career at Framingham State in 1974 as a professor of English shortly after earning her PhD from Cornell University. She served as chair of the English Department and taught at the college for over twenty years before accepting the position as interim president. Her passion for literature greatly influenced a number of events and activities she sponsored during her tenure as president, namely, the monthly book discussions held personally by her in the Ecumenical Center. Her term coincided with a series of proposed budget cuts by Governor Mitt Romney, as well as the closing of many military bases throughout the state, putting jobs for graduates at stake. She was instrumental in discussions with the governor to halt the budget cuts, or at least persuade him to reconsider the magnitude of rising tuition and fees. She was very much an advocate for the students, whether it be trying to stave off astronomical tuition costs or bringing a bit of culture to the campus. One of her major projects was overseeing the renovation of the Ecumenical Center, which had previously been St. John’s church. The building had been closed since 1985 due to disrepair, until Heineman acquired $750,000 in funds to renovate it. Upon her resignation in 2006, the Ecumenical Center was renamed the Helen Heineman Ecumenical and Cultural Center in her honor. She went on to serve on the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Board of Trustees, beginning her term in 2010.