Dr. Francis Haines taught social science at Oregon College of Education and was a well-known authority on the Nez Percé Indians and the Appaloosa breed of horses. Born in West Virginia, he was raised in Montana, where he developed his interest in the American West.
Haines authored Appaloosa: The Spotted Horse in Art and History and his various writings helped renew interest in the breed. The Appaloosa Museum and Heritage Center in Moscow, Idaho was originally dedicated to him.