A leading expert in the field, Dr. Kinne has been recognized as chancellor emerita of Jacksonville University since 1994, having been chancellor of the university beginning in 1989. Prior to obtaining this role, she was the president of the university from 1979 to 1989, making her the first female president of a Florida university. During her tenure, she established the Colleges of Fine Arts, Arts and Sciences, and Business, as well as the Nursing School, and Graduate, Aviation, and Executive MBA Programs. Moreover, she founded and served as dean of the College of Fine Arts from 1961 to 1979, making her the first female dean of a College of Fine Arts in the International Council of Fine Arts Deans. Previously, she taught at the university as a professor of humanities from 1958 to 1961.
Outside of these endeavors, and as a military wife, Dr. Kinne spent time working in Tokyo, Japan, as a college professor at Tsuda College. Notably, she created a volunteer post-war education of Japanese students, a program that is still in existence today. Previously, she acted as a recreation director for the Veterans Administration, where she supervised rehab recreation in four hospitals throughout Wadsworth, Kansas. A World War II U.S. Army Hostess, Dr. Kinne was a camp crowder and director of clubs in Missouri. Earlier in her career, she dedicated her time and effort to teaching music in public schools in Des Moines, Iowa. As a teenager, she was an instrumental conductor and church choir director in Boxholm, Iowa, and a public school music teacher as well as choral and orchestra conductor in Kelley, Iowa. She began her musical efforts as an assistant piano teacher when she was 11 years old.
Dr. Kinne began her career as a student at the University of Northern Iowa, where she obtained an Associate of Arts. She then joined Drake University, completing Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music Education. She continued her studies with the Goethe Universitat in Frankfurt, Germany, graduating cum laude with a Doctor of Philosophy. With a triple major in music, English literature, and philosophy, she wrote a thesis called “A Comparative Study of British Traditional and American Indigenous Ballads,” which was published in book form in German and English. In light of her excellence in the field, she also holds honorary doctorates from Drake University, Flagler College, Jacksonville University, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Wagner College, and New York University.
Over the years, Dr. Kinne has received many accolades for her achievements. Former Mayor Alvin Brown proclaimed November 1st as “Dr. Frances Bartlett Kinne Day,” and she was honored with the Key to the City of Jacksonville by Mayor Hans Tanzler Jr., as well as with the Key to the City of Lake City, Florida. She received multiple awards from the Florida Publishing Company, including the first Eve of the Decade award, the Arthritis Foundation, the Florida Society of Ophthalmology, and the University of Northern Iowa. She was also inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame and received the Distinguished University Professor Award from Jacksonville University.