Inside the Faculty Club, a line of friends and colleagues stood waiting to have a moment of Dan Heinlen’s time. After 38 years in Ohio State’s Alumni Association and 30 years as its president, the line was quite long.
The retirement reception for the longest serving president in the association’s history was held throughout the entire building, which was needed for the expected 400 guests. A slide show displayed the changes the world has undergone during Heinlen’s years at OSU.
After 30 years, Heinlen said he enjoyed his time as president, and when asked about his feeling on retirement, he replied: “Happy if I do, happy if I don’t.”
During Heinlen’s tenure, the association’s size has doubled. It boasts a membership of more than 123,000, making it one of the nation’s largest.
“A member of the Alumni Association gives three times as much in donations to OSU as a non-member does,” said Dan Sandman, the outgoing chair of the association’s board of directors.
In addition to fundraising, the Alumni Association sponsors the Ohio State Advocates program, which informs and encourages alumni and friends to communicate with members of the General Assembly and other elected officials regarding issues of importance to OSU and higher education in general.
“The Advocates Program is the best in the country,” Sandman said. “We can mobilize several hundred people on a particular issue.
“We have had several alumni associations contact us about how to set up a program such as this one,” he said. “The Advocates Program was set up while Dan was president of the Alumni Association.”
Under Heinlen’s leadership, the association moved into Longaberger Alumni House, its present home which overlooks the Olentangy River.
“A lot of people and a lot of hard work went into making the new alumni house possible,” Heinlen said. “Not a penny of state funding went into the $10 million facility.
“We didn’t realize that the alumni house would be as popular as it is,” he said. “It has turned out to be one of the best conference sites in Ohio.”
Heinlen had a lot of input on the criteria for his replacement,Associate Director of Athletics Archie Griffin. Griffin’s selection was made by a six-member committee.
“Choosing Archie Griffin was an absolute masterful decision on the part of the committee,” Heinlen said. “He will be a great, great addition to the program.”
Many alumni agree that Griffin was the perfect choice to replace Heinlen.
“If I could choose anyone who could fill Dan’s shoes, it would be Archie Griffin.” said 1983 alum Chuck Fairbanks.
Sandman, who is the vice chairman and chief legal and administrative officer of U.S. Steel Corp. in Pittsburgh, referred to Heinlen as a legend.
“He is one of the few people that is always upbeat,” Sandman said. “He is the pre-eminent president of an alumni association, the dean of alumni associations. He’s an icon. To thousands, he is Ohio State.”
