Dr. James Cleveland Hite

Dr. James Cleveland Hite, 70, of the Rock Springs Community passed away August 8, 2011, after a lengthy illness. He was the son of the late Clifford and Wanna Bales Hite. He was also preceded in death by his grandparents James Riley and Lillian Lady Hite and Grover Cleveland and Nora Conkin Bales. He graduated from Sullivan High School in 1959. He attended the University of Tennessee and graduated from Clemson University in 1963 with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics. The next year he earned an M.A. in history from Emory University. He returned to Clemson in 1964 and earned a Ph.D. in Applied Economics in 1966. After a brief stint on the faculty at Tennessee Technological University, he returned to Clemson as Assistant Professor Agricultural Economics. In 1969-1970 Jim was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University. In 1985 he was a Gordon Fellow at Deakin University in Australia. Following a noteworthy 31-year career at Clemson, Jim retired in 1998 with the rank of Alumni Distinguished Professor the 21st faculty member in Clemson s long history to hold that rank. He was also a senior Fellow of the Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs.

For three decades Jim was not only a distinguished scholar but also one of the most influential policy analysts in his adopted state of South Carolina. He authored or co-authored four books and more than 100 research papers and monographs. He served on the Editorial boards of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics as well as the journal Growth and Change, and the Journal of Agricultural Economics Issues. For a decade, he served as editor of The Review of Regional Studies and served on the North American Regional Science Council.

Jim would want to be remembered for his dedication to the Southern Regional Science Association where he served as editor of the Review of Regional Studies and also as President. SRSA members honored him by naming him one of only 21 Distinguished Fellows of the Association.

Via his research and outreach activities, Jim was instrumental in creating a research-based public service network in the area of state tax and budget policy in South Carolina. His work led to significant changes in the state s tax structure and spending priorities. He also made important contributions to the state s natural resource policy, especially in the area of water management. His third area of major policy contributions was in local and regional development in the role of physical infrastructure and attracting and retaining industry.

Doc Hite was a well-known and beloved classroom teacher. He taught not only popular and highly-sought undergraduate and graduate courses, but also supervised twelve Ph.D. dissertations and thirteen MS theses during his career. His former students populate political offices at state and local levels within the United States as well as policy positions in organizations throughout the world. He was honored by the South Carolina Legislature in 1998 with a concurrent resolution commending him for his distinguished career as a teacher, author, consultant and civic leader upon the occasion of his retirement.

After retiring from Clemson in 1998, he returned to his beloved Double Springs Farm where he became involved in community activities. He served in several capacities at Rock Springs UMC where he was a member. He served on the South Kingsport United Way, was a charter member of the Sullivan County Imagination Library Board, the Sullivan County NETWORKS economic development board, and founded the Rock Springs Foundation and served as its Chairman during its existence.

Jim is survived by his aunt Juanita Gibson who was his caregiver during the last few years, his uncle Lester Bales of Chuckey, Tennessee; cousins Michael Bailey and his wife Teresa and their children, Zachary and Madison, of Kingsport; Paula Bailey Hinson and her husband Jerry , and their children Adam and Andrew, of Germantown, Tennessee, Jonathan Bailey , of Kingsport, and Larry Bales and wife Alice and their children Charlie and Wade of Chuckey, Tennessee; Mrs. Bobby Bales of Richmond, Kentucky, and her children Robby and Billy His godson Jordan Ward of Clemson, SC .and his life-long friends Jack and Evelyn Bales, of Kingsport and their children Barton, Kara and Ben.

Family will receive friends from 5 to 7:00p.m., Thursday, August 11th at Hamlett-Dobson, Fall Branch. Services will be conducted on Thursday, August 11th, 7:00p.m. Dr. Mack Turner and Pastor Randy E. Waller officiating.

Graveside services will be on Friday, August 12th at 11:00a.m. at Rock Springs United Methodist Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be David Anctil, Tom Sells, Dean Sells, Sullivan High School, Class of 59 and Jim s Sunday school class from Rock Springs UMC.

Memorial contributions may be made to Rock Springs UMC Building Fund, 227 Church View, Kingsport, TN 37664 or Double Springs Baptist Church, 2783 Rock Springs Road, Kingsport, TN 37664.