Edward E. "Ed" Hightower is an American educator and former college basketball referee.
Hightower was voted the Naismith Division I Men’s College Basketball Official of the Year in 1992.
[2] In 1995, he received the National Association of Sports Officials’ Gold Whistle Award.
[9] He serves on the Boards of Directors for Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey and St. Anthony's Hospital in Alton.
He is the central subject of The Whistleblower, a book about college basketball refereeing.