Eleanor Reynolds spent most of her student and professional life at Oakland University. She enrolled as a student in 1970 and graduated in 1974 with a degree in elementary education. After graduation, Eleanor headed for Iowa to pursue a master's degree in higher education.
In 1982, after other pursuits, she returned to Oakland University where she would serve as Director of Housing and Food Services and, later, as Administrative Vice President for Admissions, until her retirement in 2014. In both of these positions, she served as an advocate for students, as a scheduling advisor, and a personal advisor. She dedicated untold hours to the well-being of the students she counseled on and off campus.
Now retired, Eleanor continues to remain engaged in University life. She currently serves on the OU Alumni Association (OUAA) Board of Directors and the Black Alumni Chapter Board. As a member of these boards, she has maintained a leadership role in the Black Alumni History Project with University Archives and serves on the OUAA’s scholarship selection sub-committee.
Eleanor and her husband, Ken, still reside in Auburn Hills. They are now empty nesters as their two daughters have found careers elsewhere; one in Chicago and one in Philadelphia. Until recently, the family traveled for visits, but current events in our state and our nation have curtailed the trips to and from either city.
Presently, Eleanor gives her time to the community as Vice President of the Auburn Hills Library Board, and as a mentor to high school students in the outreach program of her local church.
Since their retirement, Eleanor and Ken have taken a few cruises and some road trips, but what she likes most is her garden and the community in which they live. Why not give her a call to reconnect? She would love to show you her special garden.
November 3, 2020
By Joan Rosen
