Virgil G. Hinshaw Jr. *45
Virgil G. Hinshaw Jr.. *45, professor emeritus of philosophy at Ohio State Univ., died July 22, 1995. He was 75. Born in LaGrange, Ill., and raised in Pasadena, he earned his B.A. degree (Phi Beta Kappa) at Stanford in 1941, M.A. in philosophy at Iowa in 1942, and Ph.D. at Princeton in philosophy.
In graduate school he was influenced by Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein, about both of whom he published philosophical writings. His entire professional career was spent at Ohio State. He was an acknowledged expert among post-WWII American philosophers, especially in the theory of knowledge and philosophy of history, sociology, and natural scieces. The excellence of his teaching inspired many in a variety of disciplines.
Personally, he loved music and sang in a church choir for 35 years. His enthusiasm for O.S.U. football was quite as robust. For 12 years, he was a member of the governing board of the APGA, and for an even longer period he was recording secretary representing the Graduate School for the PAW. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Alene, his son, Stephen, his daughter, Sally, a grandson, three brothers, and many nieces and nephews, not to mention a veritable host of former students, friends, and colleagues. To all who held him dear, we extend profound and heartfelt sympathy.
The Graduate Alumni
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November 2025
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Fred Goldberg
3 Years AgoProfessor Hinshaw Was Simply the Best
I was a graduate student in the philosophy department at Ohio State University from 1963-65. My first term in the program I took Professor Hinshaw’s course in the theory of knowledge. That course and his instruction was the primary reason I decided to continue my studies in the theory of knowledge. In 1965 I earned an M.A. degree with Professor Hinshaw as my master’s thesis adviser. From there I went on to the doctoral program at Brandeis University where I earned a Ph.D. in 1968. Subsequent to that I taught philosophy at M.I.T., San Jose State University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. I am now retired from teaching and live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I will always remember Professor Hinshaw with warm affection and undying gratitude.