Dr. Fred V. Mills began a second career in 1985, as a landscape watercolorist and designer when he retired from a distinguished 35-year career at four major universities: Illinois State University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Indiana University and University of Texas at Austin. Mills was a Professor and Chairman of the Art Department at Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, from 1968 to 1985. His legacy of leadership marked growth for the department in programs, faculty, scholarships, facilities and reputation. He led its expansion from a single purpose teacher education program to a comprehensive department which received Division I accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. At that time, few state university art departments ranked at this professional art school level. In addition to his studio work, Mills taught as a Distinguished Professor of Art at Lincoln College Normal from 1986 to 1999. He has continued to mentor youths talented in art and to teach adult art workshops in drawing and painting.