Harwood was born in Irving, Texas, on March 26, 1927, to Harwood Perry Hinton, Sr., and Willie Mae Abbott Hinton. He graduated from Irving High School and continued on to receive a BA in History from the University of Texas at Austin, an MA in History from Columbia University, and PhD in History from the University of Wisconsin. A United States Army veteran, Harwood was drafted by Uncle Sam in 1950 and served in Japan. When he returned to civilian life in Texas, he taught junior high history in Odessa. On June 16, 1955, he married Mary Ann Brookshire. They had three children and were married for forty-two years. After Ann died in 1997, he later married Diana Davids Olien of Midland on May 14, 2005.
On receiving his PhD, Harwood accepted an assistant professorship at Texas A&M University, teaching there one year before accepting a position at the University of Arizona at Tucson in 1961. He would be a professor of history there for the next thirty years, but he also became editor of the scholarly journal “Arizona and the West”, which under his editorial leadership, became a leading periodical in the history of the American West. While in that position, he was one of the founders of the Western History Association, in which he took an active part for many years.
Harwood’s own scholarship focused on the lives of Civil War General John Ellis Wool and southwestern cattle dealer John Chisum. An expert on the history of the American Southwest, he was a consultant for Hollywood Western movie makers. But Harwood was most devoted to mentoring his many students. He was always ready to suggest how they might develop new historical topics and insights, and how they could find untapped historical resources. Because of his unlimited generosity with his time, many of his students became teachers and scholars, publishing a host of books and articles. Countless others came to share Harwood’s love of the history of the American Southwest.
In 1991 Harwood retired from the University of Arizona, and he and Ann relocated to Austin, Texas. Once settled in Austin, Harwood became one of the editors of “The New Handbook of Texas”, compiled by the Texas State Historical Association. He was a life member of the Association, as well as of the American Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians. In both Tucson and Austin, he was an active participant in the Civil War Roundtable.
Harwood left Austin for Midland, Texas, when he married Diana Davids Olien on May 14, 2005. In Midland he continued his research and writing, completing his biography of General John Wool. He continued to mentor younger scholars, helping them see their research into print, and going to meetings of the West Texas Historical Association, of which he was a past president and board member, and the Conference on Big Bend Studies. A confirmed “people person”, he loved visiting with his many friends at historical conferences.
Harwood is preceded in death by his parents, Harwood and Willie Mae Hinton, his brothers James Floyd Hinton and Thomas Ross Hinton, his wife Ann, and his son John Harwood Hinton.
Harwood is survived by his wife of eleven years, Diana Davids Hinton; his two children Mary McAdow and James Hinton; his step-daughter Christina Olien Bosco; his grandchildren Anthony Cox, Madeline Cox, Mary Ann Cox, Roxanne Hinton and Charles Hinton; his step-grandchild Sharon Victoria Bosco and many other family members and friends.
The funeral service will be held at St. Nicholas’ Episcopal Church, 4000 W. Loop 250 N. Midland, Texas on Tuesday, September 13, at 1:30 p.m., with Father David Huxley officiating. Burial will follow on Wednesday, September 14, at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas, Texas at 11:00 a.m..
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the American Diabetes Association, the John H. Hinton Library Endowment at the Cushing Library of Texas A&M University, or the St. Nicholas Episcopal Church Memorial Fund.
The family wishes to express their deepest thanks and gratitude to the staff of Hospice of Midland and Visiting Angels, as well as to the many Midland friends who have offered their love and support.
Services are under the direction of Ellis Funeral Home, 801 Andrews Hwy, Midland, Texas 79701 (432-683-5555.
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