Pike has worn his trademark bow tie since the 1990s. Photo: courtesy Siena Pike.
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2025-06-13 • Caitlin Custer
Jeff Pike: The man behind the bow tie
2025-06-13 • Caitlin Custer
Jeff Pike (right) at an April 2024 celebration of his 40+ year career at WashU. Photo: Audrey Westcott/WashU.
If you’ve spent any time around Washington University’s College of Art in the last 40 years, chances are you’ve come across a man sporting a bow tie, round glasses, and a kind expression that hints at a sharp wit. These signature features belong to Jeff Pike, whose career has spanned academia, advertising agencies, and freelance illustration. Now a professor emeritus, we caught up with him to reflect on his career as an illustrator, educator, and university administrator.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Pike earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute and a Master of Fine Arts in visual communication from Syracuse University. He notes that many influential teachers and students have impacted his work, among them Stephen Sidelinger at KCAI. “He was always pushing me — I was pretty cautious at the time — to be more expressive, more intellectually engaged,” Pike shared.
Thanks to an independent study with Sidelinger, Pike created dozens of illustrations for a theology professor, Hans Uffelmann, at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, who wanted to better capture students’ attention. At a reception years later, Pike found out that Uffelmann was still using the illustrations. “It was so flattering,” Pike said.
Pike (left) in 1986 at WashU. Photo: courtesy Siena Pike.
“When I was in my 20s, I had no idea what my career would look like,” he said. Pike spent the first few years of his career in faculty roles at Cazenovia College — where he founded the advertising program — the Swain School of Design, and the Philadelphia College of Art. He can vividly recall stories from his time at each institution, from memories of student graffiti intended to shock passersby to the mob activity near his house in South Philadelphia. Pike made his way to WashU in 1983, filling in for a one-year sabbatical. The following year, he took a permanent position that began his four-decade career at the university.
Pike’s impact at WashU started with relaunching the illustration program, which he directed for 10 years. He took on responsibility for the undergraduate art program as associate dean of art — which is also when he began wearing his trademark bowties. He’s quick to note that he owns about 125 and, importantly, ties them all himself.
When my daughter was an infant, I lost a couple of neckties to diaper changes. At the time, Joe Deal — the dean — occasionally wore a bow tie. I thought ‘well, there’s a possible solution.’
“When my daughter was an infant, I lost a couple of neckties to diaper changes. At the time, Joe Deal — the dean — occasionally wore a bow tie. I thought ‘well, there’s a possible solution.’ One day, I showed up for work with my new bow tie. I was discussing something with a faculty member, and when she went to leave, she turned and said, ‘that bow tie looks ridiculous on you!’ And I said, ‘thank you!’ I decided then and there that I was going to wear them.”
The bow ties came along for the ride as Pike earned a reputation as a knowledgeable, creative, and friendly colleague. He was promoted to dean of art, followed by his installation as the inaugural Jane Reuter Hitzeman and Herbert F. Hitzeman Professor of Art. Highlights under his leadership include establishing the study abroad program in Florence, Italy, and “hiring a lot of very, very good faculty, many of whom are still here.”
Further contributions during Pike’s time as dean include bringing digital media into the curriculum; building interdisciplinary partnerships with architecture, business, and engineering; establishing a new MFA degree; and supporting the creation of the Visual Communications Research Studio, Portfolio Plus high school summer program, and the Dowd Illustrated Research Archive — part of WashU Libraries and named for D.B. Dowd, a faculty member Pike hired.
Pike, then dean of the School of Art, talks shop with faculty member Arny Nadler (left) and a student. Photo: WashU.
Dedication of Walker Hall in October 2006. (Photo: WashU)
Pike with then Associate Dean of Students Georgia Binnington at a Sam Fox School Recognition Ceremony. Photo: WashU.
At the same time, Pike stayed active as a freelance creative, working with household-name brands like Anheuser-Busch, Purina, and SSM Health. He worked with the major advertising agencies in St. Louis, turning in concepts and storyboards at a moment’s notice. “I really enjoyed working with art directors and writers, getting to draw ideas as we all talked,” he said. As the agency landscape shifted, Pike began to collaborate with short story writers and poets — work he found deeply satisfying.
Today, Pike is still filling pages in his sketchbook, gearing up for a new collaboration with Kevin McFadden, a poet who teaches at the University of Virginia. They previously worked together on the poetry collection, “City of Dante.”
Work by Jeff Pike. Courtesy the artist.
Work by Jeff Pike. Courtesy the artist.
Work by Jeff Pike. Courtesy the artist.
Another proud moment is the creation of the Sam Fox School, which Pike marks as one of Chancellor Mark Wrighton’s greatest contributions to the university. “When the Sam Fox School was created,” Pike said, “everything got better.” He believes the new, larger unit created stability, which has in turn enriched the student experience. “We’ve been able to support more students, more faculty, more facilities, more equipment, more options. It’s a big package of advantages.”
When the Sam Fox School was created, everything got better. We’ve been able to support more students, more faculty, more facilities, more equipment, more options. It’s a big package of advantages.
Another advantage was bringing in new leadership. “I was on the search committee that hired Carmon Colangelo as the inaugural dean of the newly combined school,” Pike said. “Carmon’s done an extraordinary job, particularly with the building and renovation projects on the East End.”
This past year, Pike taught one class each semester. “This year, I taught first-year drawing, and it was just a blast,” he said. A series of ways to draw, Pike has spent much of class time teaching one- and two-point perspective, which he calls essentially storyboarding and character development. “There are some super talented students, and everyone is working and improving, no matter where they started out. It’s such a treat for me.”
But Pike’s biggest point of pride is seeing former students and faculty he’s hired doing well, succeeding, and contributing to their field. “For me, teaching at WashU is a privilege I’ve always tried to honor.”
Students wrote Pike notes after the spring 2016 semester thanking him for the impact he had on their development as illustrators. Photo: courtesy Siena Pike.
A note from a student after the spring 2016 semester. Photo: courtesy Siena Pike.