Terry W. Hartle has been one of America’s most effective and experienced advocates for higher education for over 25 years. As senior vice president of ACE’s Government Relations and Public Affairs division from 1993 to 2023, Hartle directed comprehensive efforts to engage federal policymakers on a broad range of issues including student aid, government regulation, scientific research, and tax policy.

Prior to joining ACE in 1993, he served for six years as education staff director for the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, then chaired by Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). Prior to 1987, he was the director of social policy studies and a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and he previously worked as a research scientist at Educational Testing Service. Hartle has authored and co-authored numerous articles, books, and national studies, and he contributes regular book reviews to The Christian Science Monitor. He is a member of Smith College’s board of trustees.

Hartle received a doctorate in public policy from The George Washington University (GWU); a master’s in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University; and a bachelor’s degree in history, summa cum laude, from Hiram College. He has been awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by Northeastern University and an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from the University of Redlands. He received the GWU President’s Medal and the Hiram College Alumni Achievement Award, was inducted into Hiram College’s William H. Hollinger Athletic Hall of Fame, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 2021, Hartle and ACE’s Government Relations and Public Affairs team received the Outstanding Contribution to Higher Education Award from NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education in recognition of their public policy advocacy on behalf of the entire higher education community, particularly in response to the crisis the COVID-19 pandemic has posed for institutions and students.