George Alan Karnes Wallis Hickrod died peacefully in his sleep the night of December 27th (2006) while visiting family in Yucca Valley, California.

Visitation will be at the Unitarian Church in Bloomington on Thursday evening from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Masonic rites will be performed at the close of visitation.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Unitarian Church at 1:00 p.m. on January 5, the Reverends David Robbins and James Pruyne, officiating.

On January 7, at 1:00 P.M. another memorial service will be conducted by the Fort Branch Masonic Lodge #696 and held at the Stodghill Funeral Home located on Hwy. 168 West in Ft. Branch, Indiana. There will be a short visitation conducted at the Stodghill Funeral Home from 11:00 A.M. until service time at 1:00 P.M. Internment will follow at Walnut Hill cemetery in Fort Branch, IN, where military services will be conducted by the Fort Branch VFW Post 2714 and the Haubstadt American Legion #194.

Alan Hickrod was born, May 16, 1930, in Ft. Branch, Indiana, the son of Herschell Hickrod and Bernice Karnes.

He earned his Bachelor's degree at Wabash College, Class of 1952. His education was interrupted by a term of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. After honorable discharge, he resumed his studies, earning his Master's and Doctoral degrees from Harvard University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1966.

After graduation from Harvard, he taught at Erie College where he met and married Dr. Lucy Jen Huang. She died, April 26, 1987.

In 1967, Professor Hickrod came to Illinois State University to become the first Director of the Center for the Study of Educational Finance. At the request of the Illinois Legislature, the Center monitored the progress of a school funding formula co-authored by Alan, and prepared biannual reports for every elected official of the Illinois Legislature.

During his long tenure at the University teaching graduate-level courses in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations, he earned a reputation as a popular teacher and mentor, as well as an outstanding researcher. In 1983, Illinois State University conferred upon him the honor of Distinguished University Professor.

Dr. Hickrod was a recognized national authority on school funding. He was a founding member of the American Education Finance Association and served a term as President and many years on the Board of Directors. In this capacity, he was invited to testify before a committee of the U.S. Congress. He served as a consultant and was a popular speaker with groups interested in school finance. He received many awards, including the Chicago Urban League's annual award for outstanding service in human relations.

Alan was a avid reader of politics and history. His letters to the editor of the Pantagraph often reflected his most recent reading. These letters as well as some other essays were recently published in a book entitled, An Embattled and Unapologetic Liberal.

Alan was a lifelong member of the Scottish Rite Masonic Order, achieving the highest grades and rankings in his 50-year affiliation with the organization.

Proud of his Scottish ancestry, Alan was an organizer and one of the first Chiefs of the Scottish-American Society of Central Illinois. He is one of only a few persons in the Midwest who speak Scot Gaelic.

He was a gourmet chef and wine connoisseur.

Whoever coined the expression, Gentleman and Scholar, was certainly speaking about George Alan Hickrod.

Alan is survived by his wife, Dr. Marcia Escott, and her children Beth and Don Newcomer, Malibu and Yucca Valley, California; Eric Escott and Lulu Vallee, and their daughter, Hazel Jane Escott, Pasadena, California. He is also survived by the children, grandchildren and family members of Dr. Lucy Jen Huang Lui: Gretchen Liu, Shanghai, China; Rachel Liu, Wayne and Sue Hickrod Liu, and their daughter Rachel Liu, Troy, MI; Ko Hshing and Chia Ning Huang, and their children, Pella, Iowa.