Faculty Member 1983-2021
Professor of Psychology
Dr. James Hess taught at BHSU for nearly 40 years. He was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2011. With his background in counseling, he offered many popular classes in psychology. He served as the Chair of Behavioral Sciences for nearly a decade. He provided many workshops to organizations in the region and worked as an expert witness for area attorneys. Dr. Hess owned several successful businesses in the region. Because of his successes in business, he engaged in extensive philanthropy. As one example of his philanthropic work, Dr. Hess donated $1 million dollars and created the Make A Difference Initiative Scholarship at BHSU. This scholarship supports students with tuition funds but also requires students to create a project that gives back to the community. His scholarship winners installed the first little libraries in Spearfish, created mentorship models in the communities of Spearfish and Belle Fourche, mounted 2 murals in Spearfish Recreation Center, and developed a Free Store on the BHSU campus. Dr. Hess' legacy carries on through his scholarship, developing future leaders, and generating a spirit of volunteerism within our community.