Dr. Joshua Spann Haynes was an assistant professor of Native North American history at Sam Houston State University. On Sunday, history students and staff were notified in an email that Haynes had died at the age of 49.
According to Fox 44 News, Haynes was killed in a motorcycle crash in College Station early on Oct. 19. Bystanders reportedly performed CPR until emergency personnel arrived, but Haynes was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
“Today, we mourn the loss of a dedicated scholar, teacher, mentor and friend who was genuinely invested in the lives of his students,” said Dr. Brian Jordan, chair of the Department of History.
Haynes came to the university to be an assistant professor in the fall of 2022.
“In three short years, Dr. Haynes touched the lives of hundreds of students, both in the classroom and as the faculty advisor for our Bearkat History Club,” Jordan added.
Among the students Haynes impacted during his tenure at the university was Maegan Jimenez. Jimenez shared her thoughts on the College Station Police Department’s Facebook post, announcing the identification of Haynes.
“Dr. Haynes was an amazing and profoundly brilliant professor,” Jimenez wrote. “It was such an honor to be apart of his Bearkat History Club this last year, where he reignited my love and passion for history.”
Jimenez shared that after taking Haynes’ class, she decided to add a history minor to her degree plan, which would not have been possible without a letter of recommendation.
“I owe him so much,” Jimenez added. “I’m extremely saddened with his loss, but I am so grateful for everything he’s taught me in our time together. I will miss him so much.”
Kaleb Brown is the president of the Bearkat History Club, which Haynes was the faculty advisor of. Additionally, Haynes was Brown’s first professor when he started school at Sam Houston State University.
“[Haynes] was enthusiastic and cared deeply not only about the subject he taught, but his students too,” Brown said.
Later, Brown worked under Haynes as an embedded tutor. Being in this unique position, he got to experience the hard work that Haynes did, which many students did not see.
“He inspired me to learn and grow, and I will forever remember his contributions and impact in not just mine, but all his students’ lives that he worked with,” Brown shared. “Dr. Haynes will be missed deeply, and his impact here will resound for a long time to come.”
Some students headed to ratemyprofessor.com to leave comments about Dr. Haynes.
“Super passionate about his job and made lectures super entertaining and engaging,” one anonymous review stated on Oct. 20th. “We had debates, and they were enjoyable, even coming from a person who didn’t enjoy debates too much.”
In 2013, Dr. Haynes earned his Ph.D. in History with a Graduate Certificate in Native American Studies at the University of Georgia. He also made an appearance on an episode of TLC’s series, “Who Do You Think You Are?”
A few syears later in 2018, Dr. Haynes published “Patrolling the Border: Theft and Violence on the Creek-Georgia Frontier, 1770-1706 (University of Georgia Press, 2018).” The book is 310 pages and has a 3.8 rating on Amazon.
Jordan shared that Haynes was working on his second book at the time of his passing.
“An energetic teacher and engaging lecturer, his U.S. history survey courses were among the most popular in the department,” Jordan said.
Individuals who are struggling in wake of Haynes’ death are able to seek out help at the university’s counseling center, which is located next to Old Main Market on Avenue J. For more information, call the center at 936-294-1720 or stop inside during business hours.
Additionally, Timely Care is open 24/7 to Sam Houston State University Students. To learn more information, visit the following link: https://www.shsu.edu/dept/counseling/timely-care.
