Remembering "Doc"

Dr. Billy D. Hauserman, Ed.D.

1929 - 2012

Dr. Billy Dale Hauserman, Professor Emeritus, Dean of Education, Towson University, died May 26 of complications from dementia at Gilchrist Hospice Center. He was 82.  Dr. Hauserman, or just "Doc" as he was affectionately known, was beloved and respected by colleagues and students alike through his 33 years at Towson University as a full professor, including a stint as Dean of Education.

Dr. Hauserman was born in Zanesville, Ohio and was the first in his family to attend and graduate from college. In his early school years, Billy was mentored by his elementary school principal, who deemed him worthy of special attention due to his unusually high intelligence. From this mentorship grew young Billy's life-long love of outdoor education, sports and scouting.  Throughout Billy's early and adolescent scholastic life, he was an ardent Boy Scout, becoming an Eagle Scout, a member of The Order of the Arrow, and finally an Explorer Scout. Billy was a natural athlete as well.  At Bennett High School in Buffalo, NY, where his family had settled, Billy earned four letters in football, track, swimming, and tennis.  

Billy married his high school sweetheart, Norma, while attending Brockport State Teachers College (now called SUNY Brockport), in September 1950 when they were 20 years old. During his 4 years as an undergraduate, Billy and Norma partnered with Norma's brother and sister-in-law, owning and operating a boys' residential summer camp called Camp Wangum, specializing in outdoor camping.  The camp was sold in 1963 but is still operating under a different name to this day.  There was a second camp, Summer Haven Farm, which continued to operate until 1967. 

The young couple graduated with honors in 1952.  Both were hired to teach in Great Neck, NY at the magnificent salary of $3,000, the highest salary given in New York State at that time. However, the very day of graduation, Uncle Sam had a letter ready for Billy, starting, "Now that you have graduated, give us your new address".  By Christmas 1952, Billy had been drafted and sent to Korea, where he served in the US Army until January, 1955.

Upon finishing his service, Billy immediately used his GI bill to earn a Master's degree in Education at UCLA in one year and moved to Geneseo, NY, where he began his first attachment to a University system, teaching 5th grade in the Geneseo State Teachers College, Holcomb School of Practice. Billy taught there for 7 years, annually taking his 5th graders for a weekly stay in the woods, learning about camping, planning, cooking and group cohesion. During those special years, Billy and Norma welcomed one daughter and 4 sons, all the while Billy commuting to the University of Buffalo, earning his Ed.D. in Outdoor Education in June, 1963.

Then, as Dr. Hauserman, no grass grew under his feet.  Dr. Hauserman and family moved to Stroudsburg, PA, where he became a faculty member at East Stroudsburg State Teachers College.  Upon arriving, the Hausermans purchased a historical 22-room mansion, including an Otis elevator.  The mansion was once owned by A. Mitchell Palmer, who served as Secretary of State in the Woodrow Wilson administration.  The mansion carried the famous story of Palmer standing on the roof, searching for aliens. It was badly in need of repairs, painting, and wallpapering, which the Hausermans accomplished with 5 small children in tow.  During this monumental project, Billy demonstrated his rapidly growing designing and carpentry skills. Just two short years later, Billy was enticed to move to Baltimore when he joined an innovative program called "Project Mission". Sponsored by Towson State, Coppin State, and Morgan State Colleges in cooperation with Baltimore City Schools, it was a concerted effort to improve race relations and encourage educational growth in Baltimore's inner city schools. Thus began "Doc" Billy's varied and enduring tenure with Towson University, which lasted until his retirement as Professor Emeritus, Dean of Education in 1998.

During his tenure as Dean, Billy demonstrated his natural ebullient and innovative nature. He helped design a new education building, Hawkins Hall, using the open space concept, which was popular at the time.  In summer 1971, he led a group of Early Childhood Education students on a 3-week sojourn to Israel, where they lived on a kibbutz, studying Israeli educational practices and daily life, taking his family along.  Visits to France and Italy bookended the stay in Israel.  The five Hauserman children were so enthralled with traveling that, upon receiving a globe as a Christmas present that year, asked their father to take them around the world.  Not wanting to pass up a special educational opportunity for his children, Billy planned a 6-month trip around the world beginning in January 1974. In addition to his family, he chaperoned 24 undergraduate and graduate students, studying comparative educational practices in every country visited.  Starting with fun domestic stops in San Francisco and Hawaii, the trip encompassed visits to American Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Nepal, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Cypress and Israel, concluding with short visits to Italy, Greece, Spain, and England before heading home to Baltimore in June.  Billy continued his lust for travel well into the 1990s, teaching English in China for a year on two different occasions to Chinese university students as an exchange professor from Towson University.

In 1977, his marriage to Norma ended in divorce.  On his first China trip, Billy met and married Wang Pei, surprising his family with his new, young bride.  Sadly, that marriage also ended in divorce. Norma also remarried in 1979 to Robert (Bob) Campbell. However, despite all these occurrences, Billy and Norma remained close friends and shared many happy family events for the rest of his life.  Billy even developed a solid friendship with Bob that lasted until Bob's untimely death in 1993.

After his divorce from Norma, Billy stayed in Towson for several more years until his children were all grown, then purchased a small tract in southern Pennsylvania, where for several years he grew fresh fruit and vegetables for his own use (not to mention his family and friends).  Later, despite his advancing years, he nearly single-handedly turned his tiny farmhouse into a massive multifamily structure, once again demonstrating his superior craftsmanship.  He stayed in this "palace" until his age and declining health forced him to sell and move into Charlestown, a retirement community in Catonsville, in 2006.  

It was at Charlestown that Billy was diagnosed with hardening of the arteries of the brain, which causes dementia.   It was also there where he met his special friend, Wrenda DeHaven.  The two were inseparable until his rapidly deteriorating faculties forced his family to move him to Arden Courts, a special facility for dementia patients, in 2011.  He remained there until a fall caused a broken hip and, not being a candidate for surgery, he was sent to Gilchrist Hospice Center to recuperate.  However, the trauma from the fall accelerated his decline, and Billy died peacefully in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 26, 2012.

Billy's innovative style and outgoing personality was highlighted by his unique, hearty laugh. It was not uncommon for someone to tell Billy, "I knew you were in the audience at the theater last night because I heard your laugh!"  More than just his hearty laugh, however, was his ever-happy demeanor. He was the ultimate extrovert and raconteur, loving to give speeches, tell stories, chat and dialogue with students and fellow faculty. Even during his final days at Arden Courts, when a staff member asked, "how are you today, Dr. Billy?", he would give a broad smile and respond loudly, "Outstanding!"   And outstanding is just the right description in remembering "Doc" Billy.

In addition to his former wives Norma Campbell and Pei Hauserman, Billy is survived by his daughter, Heidi Cook; sons William, Anthony, John, and Jesse; his sister, Kay Cottle of Akron, Ohio; his cousin, Rita Gains of Columbus, Ohio; his grandchildren Andrew Cook, Nora Hauserman, Katharina Abercrombie, Sarah Hauserman, Bradley Hauserman, Samantha Hauserman, Jackson Hauserman, Max Hauserman, and Leah Hauserman; and his very special friend, Wrenda DeHaven.  He was preceded in death by his father, William; his mother, Ruth Garrison; his brother-in-law, Roy Cottle; and his grandson, Carroll (Alex) Cook.

A memorial service will be held August 18, 2012, at The Auburn House on the campus of Towson University. The Dr. Billy D. Hauserman Memorial Fund has been established with the Towson University Foundation, Inc. To make a gift to this fund, please make your check to the Towson University Foundation and indicate "Dr Billy D. Hauserman Memorial Fund" on the memo line. Mail to the attention of Geannine Callaghan, Development Office, Towson University, 800 York Rd, Towson, MD 21252-0001 or call 410-704 2299 for more information.