October 2020

Jim Hynes ’63 H’09 and Carole Hynes

Leaders — Motivators — Philanthropists

The Hynes’ generosity toward Kean University is unquestionably in a class by itself. Their many gifts and acts of philanthropy have included scholarship endowments and the donation that created the Jim Hynes ’63 Baseball Stadium, dedicated in 2002. Their commitment to Kean is probably surpassed only by their commitment to their family and to each other. 

These partners in life, as well as in philanthropy, are truly a “team.” It seemed only appropriate that after the Carole Hynes Global Scholars Endowment was created, and when the University’s new field house—directly adjacent to the Jim Hynes ’63 Baseball Stadium—needed a name, the name chosen should be that of Carole Hynes. Now the two structures stand together, a testament to the Hynes’ enduring relationship with each other and with Kean University.

Both Jim and Carole were born into families of modest means. Jim is a native of Elizabeth, New Jersey. His father, as a 10-year-old fifth grader at St. Patrick’s Grammar School, decided he’d learned all he needed to know and quit school. His mother, after World War II broke out, traded in her kitchen apron for a factory coat. As a young man, Jim started out working for the Pennsylvania Railroad in New York City, earning extra money on the weekends as a ceramic tile setter. Though the railroad offered a solid job with a future, Jim wanted more from life. Encouraged by a cousin who was a graduate of Kean (then Newark State College), Jim applied for admission in 1958 but was rejected. He remained persistent and reapplied the following year, gaining admission to the newly formed industrial arts program.

“This was a shock to my parents,” Jim notes. “When I already had a well-paying job, why would I leave it to attend college?” His parents’ doubts were reinforced when Jim was put on academic probation. “I fully expected to be dropped from school,” he said. But he was given another chance and succeeded in improving his grades. By his junior year, he was playing second base on the varsity baseball team as well. This athletic involvement almost jeopardized Jim’s college career when, in May 1962, he sustained a compound fracture of his leg during a ball game. He spent over a month in the hospital and had to take the rest of the summer off to recuperate. He was unable to work at his summer job, which helped pay his tuition. But thanks to a scholarship awarded by Newark State, Jim returned confidently to school not only to complete his senior year coursework, but to be elected president of the senior class. This turn of events had a lasting influence on Jim and his “attitude of gratitude” to Kean that still endures today.

After college, Jim landed a job with Union Carbide’s upper Midwest states office, located in Minnesota. It was here that Jim met Carole at a singles’ dance in the winter of 1967. “I cleaned the snow off her car and took her to a diner for tea and bagels,” he reminisces. 

Born and raised in Robbinsdale, a suburb of Minneapolis, Carole grew up in a traditional, close family that lived a simple but happy life. “My father contributed 9 Kean University Foundation — 2010–2011 to worthy cases, and both of my parents volunteered at the local hospital,” Carole recalls. This early introduction to good works instilled values that she would carry into her adult life. 

During high school, Carole discovered an enthusiasm for the French language, literature and culture. She continued to pursue these passions with a summer study abroad at the University of Grenoble in the French Alps and at the University of Minnesota, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in French education and a master’s in French literature. She thought about taking her credentials to California to pursue a teaching career, but instead, having met Jim Hynes, decided to accept a teaching position closer to home.

Meeting Jim also provided her an introduction to his alma mater. “In the late 1960’s, Jim brought me east to meet his family and to tour Newark State,” she says. “As we drove through campus, Jim was so excited and proud. I was very impressed by his attachment to his school and the impact that it had on his life.” 

Jim and Carole were married in 1970. Jim moved on from Union Carbide to Shamrock Industries, a plastics fabricator. In 1986, Jim founded his own company, Churchill Plastics, a prominent plastics recycling company. Carole taught French for 18 years in the local school district, with time off to raise their two children, Matthew and Erin. Her interest in all things French remained strong; she eventually studied French cooking at Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris and at Crillon Le Brave outside Avignon, France. This led to an amateur niche as a teacher of French regional cooking.

Over the years and across the miles, Jim always remained loyal to Kean University. “Kean changed my life and I’m dedicated to change Kean for the better in return,” he says. This is a promise both Jim and Carole have kept.

In 1997, they paid tribute to Jim’s first baseball coach, George Hudak, by establishing an endowment in his memory. Two years later, they donated a gift that enabled the construction of the state-of-the-art baseball stadium named in Jim’s honor. In 2004, Jim became chairman of the Kean University Foundation Board of Directors, serving until 2008.

In recent years, the Hyneses have established two new scholarships. The Sigma Beta Tau Annual Scholarship, also supported by many EBT brothers, is given to deserving students in Jim’s fraternity. The Jim Hynes ’63 Annual Scholarship recognizes a male Kean student who resides in Elizabeth and has served in the armed forces.

Carole feels a strong bond with the university and was delighted when the field house on campus was named in her honor. “Over the years I’ve come to know why Jim is so loyal to his alma mater, and I know how his life path changed because of his education and leadership opportunities experienced here,” she says. “I have also developed a loyalty and respect for the entire Kean community and consider it my extended family.”

The Carole Hynes Field House includes concessions for all of the surrounding venues, as well as a second-floor weight training facility. The large windows of this fitness center appropriately overlook the Jim Hynes ’63 Stadium.

“Giving back to Kean connects me to leaders, to students, and to the future,” Jim says. “It’s not just about writing a check. It’s about nurturing talent and potential and enriching the lives of students, many of whom started out just like Carole and me.”