Born in Nassau, Bahamas in 1946, Ethan Samuel Bain began his professional career in the area of Preventative Health Care Services after completing studies at West Indies School of Public Health in Kingston, Jamaica. He later went on to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Health from East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, in 1980. He served as Deputy Director of Environmental Health and Manager of Environmental Services at Bahamas Public Hospitals Authority and later went on to establish his own company Solid Waste Management Ltd., before his death in August 2005.
The Ethan S. Bain Foundation, based in the Bahamas, was established by Ethan's wife, ETSU alumna Jacquie Bain. The Foundation’s mission is to assist environmental health professionals by providing opportunities for further education and development. It also focuses on supporting youth-based programs to teach the importance of sustainability and preserve the natural environment, particularly land preservation.