Jimmie W. Hinze was one of the pivotal figures in the history of the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction, having served as the Director of the Rinker School and the Fluor Program for Construction Safety during his tenure at the University of Florida. As Director of the Rinker School he was instrumental in the realization of Rinker Hall, leading the drive to finalize the $5 million in donations from the construction industry, alumni, and friends needed to obtain a state match to permit the design and construction of the School’s new home.

Jimmie was well-known and respected for his considerable efforts to advance the state of the art in construction safety both in the U.S. and internationally. As the Director of the Fluor Program for Construction Safety his work with Fluor Corporation resulted in a unique, entrepreneurial relationship that culminated with joint professional development certification courses in construction safety. His research on construction safety was groundbreaking and unprecedented and provided the technical foundation for significant aspects of contemporary approaches to construction safety.

He was the author of numerous research reports and scholarly papers, and was the sole author of four books on construction, several of which are in their second and third editions. Jimmie was a founding member of the CIB W99, an international working group on safety in construction. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized his significant contribution to the advancement of construction safety by awarding him the 2003 Peurifoy Construction Research Award. In 2003 and again in 2013 he was honored as an Outstanding Researcher by the Construction Industry Institute (CII). The award recognizes an individual for research which has contributed significantly to the improvement of the construction industry. He was the recipient of the 2002 University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship and the Nancy Perry Teaching Excellence Award. He was recently inducted into the National Academy of Construction, a prestigious honor bestowed upon those who have impacted the construction industry at the national level. He was an ASCE and American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) member and contributed to both as an author and reviewer.

Most importantly, Jimmie was described by everyone who met him as a gentleman and a very humble person, always putting his students and colleagues ahead of himself. Jimmie Hinze passed away on September 12, 201