The evolution of Darwin Hindman
Published Sept. 13, 2002
Spending 20 years on the same college campus isn't something most people are particularly proud of.
For Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman, it's a different story.
"The university is part of my blood," Hindman said. "I grew up here, my dad was on the faculty at the university and I went to the lab school."
Hindman cannot remember living anywhere else during his childhood. Columbia has always been his home to him. In his years of education, he never attended school anywhere other than on the MU campus ' from kindergarten all the way through law school.
After spending his undergraduate years at MU, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science, the short-statured, curly-haired, former Beta Theta Phi left for a term of service as an Air Force pilot in 1955 until 1958 ' a job he said he loved.
"I enjoyed it so much," he said. "I thought, 'They're paying me to do this" this is crazy.'"
With more than 60 years as a Columbia resident and 20 years as a student at MU, Hindman said he has the interesting perspective of being both resident and former student.
"I kind of feel like I know how university people think," Hindman said.
Not only did he find an education at MU, he also met his wife, Axie.
In 1959, when Hindman was entering law school, she was an undergraduate. They married in 1960.
Hindman started working in law after another short term of service in the Air Force.
While working as a lawyer, he first started thinking about entering the political field.
Axie Hindman, a former Kappa Alpha Theta who now works for MU as a library systems specialist, said when Darwin Hindman first considered running for mayor, it was a mutual decision.
"There were a number of people in town who encouraged him to run," she said. "And we discussed it, and I had no problem with it."
After his first campaign, Columbia elected Hindman as mayor in April 1995.
Axie Hindman said her husband's job as mayor not only takes away from Hindman's law practice at Hindman and Goldstein, it also makes it more difficult to spend time at home.
"He always makes time for family," she said.
The couple has two grown children, Skip and Ellen, and four grandchildren whose ages range from three to nine.
One aspect of life Hindman said he lacks is privacy. He receives several e-mails daily, most of which he tries to read and answer. His home phone number is listed as a contact number on the city's Web site.
Hindman said he doesn't mind the attention.
"I'm very interested to know what people are thinking," he said.
The 69-year-old camping enthusiast, who occasionally still rides his bike to work, is serving his third term and would not say if he's planning to run for a fourth in 2004.
An environmentalist at heart, the mayor has pushed initiatives for the beautification of local parks and recreational activities. Hindman said he wishes MU students would be more physically active.
"It breaks my heart to see inadequate activity," he said.
The mayor of Columbia is an unpaid position, so Hindman is basically a volunteer public servant.
"Demands on your time are very great," Hindman said. "I'm at retirement age. I can afford to be more flexible with my time."
Meeting with the City Council takes a lot of time out of Hindman's schedule, he said. Hindman, who sometimes leads the meetings with the vigor of a Vegas craps dealer, meets with the council twice a month from 7 p.m. until as late as midnight.
City Council member John John said Hindman has done a fine job of leadership so far.
"He loves the city" he's genuine about his strong interest in Columbia as a good place to live," John said. "He's passionate about it, and he's committed."
Hindman said despite its drawbacks, he doesn't mind the demands of the job.
"People wonder why a person does this," he said. "You read about yourself all the time. A lot of it is critical. The pressures are pretty heavy, so people wonder why you do it and not even get paid for it. But it's a great job."
