# Ed Hightower > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ed_Hightower > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ed_Hightower.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Hightower > Source revision: 1324142272 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Edward E. "Ed" Hightower** is an American [educator](/source/Educator) and former [college basketball](/source/College_basketball) [referee](/source/Official_(basketball)). Hightower has refereed 12 [NCAA](/source/NCAA) [Division I](/source/Division_I_(NCAA)) [Final Fours](/source/Final_Four).[1] He also officiated the 1990 World Championship of Basketball in South America, the [European Basketball Championship](/source/European_Basketball_Championship) in 1993, and the [Goodwill Games](/source/Goodwill_Games) in 1994 and 1998. He is a frequent official in [Big Ten](/source/Big_Ten_Conference) and [Big East](/source/Big_East_Conference_(1979%E2%80%932013)) games. Hightower was voted the [Naismith Division I Men’s College Basketball Official of the Year](/source/Naismith_Award) in 1992.[2] In 1995, he received the National Association of Sports Officials’ Gold Whistle Award.[3] In 1998, he was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.[4] He retired from officiating on December 22, 2013, after his final game between the [Iowa Hawkeyes](/source/Iowa_Hawkeyes_men's_basketball) and [Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions](/source/Arkansas-Pine_Bluff_Golden_Lions) in [Iowa City](/source/Iowa_City).[5] Hightower holds bachelor, master, and specialist degrees from [Southern Illinois University Edwardsville](/source/Southern_Illinois_University_Edwardsville)[6] and a doctorate in Education Administration from [St. Louis University](/source/Saint_Louis_University_(United_States)). A lifelong educator, he was the superintendent of [Edwardsville](/source/Edwardsville,_Illinois), [Illinois](/source/Illinois) [School District #7](/source/Edwardsville_Community_Unit_School_District#7) (which includes [Edwardsville High School](/source/Edwardsville_High_School)) until he retired after the end of the 2014–15 school year,[7][8] and he was formerly vice chairman of the [Southern Illinois University](/source/Southern_Illinois_University) Board of Trustees.[9] He serves on the Boards of Directors for [Lewis and Clark Community College](/source/Lewis_and_Clark_Community_College) in [Godfrey](/source/Godfrey,_IL) and St. Anthony's Hospital in [Alton](/source/Alton,_IL). Among his non-sports awards, he received the 1990 Elijah P. Lovejoy Human Rights Award, the Illinois Jaycees 10 Outstanding Young Persons Award, the 1989 Illinois Distinguished Principals Award, 1993 Illinois Principal of the Year Award, and he was selected as the 2007 Trails West Distinguished Citizen of the Year.[10] Hightower and his wife, Barbara, have two daughters, Julie and Jennifer. He and his family reside in Edwardsville, where he is also involved in his church and the Edwardsville [Rotary](/source/Rotary_International) Club. He is the central subject of *The Whistleblower*, a book about college basketball refereeing. ## References 1. [College basketball referee at the top of his game : The University Daily Kansan](https://archive.today/20110807195818/http://www.kansan.com/stories/2008/apr/23/college_basketball_referee_te_top_his_game/?news) 1. ["Atlanta Tipoff Club Announces 2011 Naismith Men's College Official of the Year"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120404185754/http://www.naismithawards.com/PressBox/ArticleView/tabid/209/ArticleId/25/Atlanta-Tipoff-Club-Announces-2011-Naismith-Mens-College-Official-of-the-Year.aspx). Archived from [the original](http://www.naismithawards.com/pressbox/articleview/tabid/209/articleid/25/atlanta-tipoff-club-announces-2011-naismith-mens-college-official-of-the-year.aspx) on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2012-02-28. 1. ["Recipients of the Gold Whistle Award | NASO - National Association of Sports Officials"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120224233739/http://www.naso.org/WhatWeDo/Awards/GoldWhistleAward/GoldWhistleRecipients.aspx). Archived from [the original](http://www.naso.org/WhatWeDo/Awards/GoldWhistleAward/GoldWhistleRecipients.aspx) on 2012-02-24. Retrieved 2012-02-28. 1. ["IBCA Hall of Fame"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120106040125/http://members.ibcaillinois.org/index.php/hall-of-fame). Archived from [the original](http://members.ibcaillinois.org/index.php/hall-of-fame) on 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2012-02-28. 1. [Longtime college hoops official Ed Hightower hangs up his whistle. From The Des Moines Register](https://archive.today/20131222234848/http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20131222/SPORTS020504/312220083/1024/COMM06/?odyssey=nav%7Chead) 1. ["Alumni - About Our Alumni - Noted Alumni"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120229044344/http://www.siue.edu/alumni/aboutalumni/noted_alumni.shtml). Archived from [the original](http://www.siue.edu/alumni/aboutalumni/noted_alumni.shtml) on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2012-02-28. 1. ["Search :: Edwardsville School District #7"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120614180604/http://www.ecusd7.org/search.asp). Archived from [the original](http://www.ecusd7.org/search.asp) on 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2012-02-28. 1. ["EDWARDSVILLE: It's official: Hightower will retire at end of next school year | Living | News Democrat"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140429191414/http://www.bnd.com/2014/04/28/3182925/hightower-to-retire-from-district.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.bnd.com/2014/04/28/3182925/hightower-to-retire-from-district.html) on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-07-03. 1. ["SIU Board of Trustees"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121005095922/http://bot.siu.edu/). Archived from [the original](http://bot.siu.edu/) on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2012-02-28. 1. [Dr. Ed Hightower](http://www.100bma.org/ringofhonor/Bios/EHightower.pdf) ## External links - [Edwardsville Schools](http://www.ecusd7.org) - [SIU Board of Ttustees](http://bot.siu.edu) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ed Hightower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Hightower) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Hightower?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.