Dr. Melvene Draheim Hardee was a higher education administrator, scholar, and leader. She earned degrees from Iowa State Teachers College, Teachers College Columbia University, and the University of Chicago. The majority of her professional career played out at Florida State University where she first served as coordinator of counseling and later became one of the original faculty of the FSU higher education graduate preparation program. Between 1958 and 1989, she advised 120 doctoral students to the successful completion of their degrees and she advised and mentored many more master's degree students. Hardee assumed leadership positions in several higher education professional organizations.