Lu Hardin, the former state senator, director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and president of the University of Central Arkansas, died Monday morning at the age of 73.

He was diagnosed with stage four cancer a year ago after a battle 20 years earlier with eye cancer, said his son, Scott Hardin.

Lu Hardin had a successful career until 2008, when he resigned after receiving two illegal bonuses.

Hardin had dictated letters and memos that misled UCA's Board of Trustees into giving him those bonuses, according to court filings.

Hardin "intended to deceive the board of trustees," his attorney told the judge during his sentencing hearing.

One of those bonuses was $300,000 that Hardin was to receive two years later as part of a deferred compensation package. The other was a $1

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