Glen D. Johnson Jr. (born April 20, 1954) is the former Chancellor of the

Oklahoma State System of Higher Education The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education is the state's legal structure for providing public education at the collegiate level. It is a coordinated system of colleges and universities located throughout the state. State System overview ...

, succeeded by

Allison Garrett Allison Dabbs Garrett (born January 22, 1964) is an American attorney, inventor, educator, and the chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. She previously served as the 17th president of Emporia State University from January 20 ...

a state system comprising 25 state colleges and universities, 10 constituent agencies, one higher education center and independent colleges and universities coordinated with the state system.

Early life and education

Born in Oklahoma City, Johnson is the son of former U.S. Congressman Glen D. Johnson Sr. and Imogene Johnson. He graduated from

Muskogee High School Muskogee High School (MHS) is a three-year public high school in Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.. It is accredited by the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association. Muskogee High School is pa ...

in 1972. He completed his bachelor's degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

at the

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

and then obtained his Juris Doctor from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. During his college years, he was a member of the

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

Society and is currently serves on the National Foundation board of directors of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.

Career

Johnson founded Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in 1986 and previously was a member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame's Executive Board of Directors and the Oklahoma State Fair Board of Directors respectively. From 1982 to 1996, Johnson was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and, in 1990, became Speaker of the State House at age 36, the youngest in the state's history (at the time). Johnson is the 8th Chancellor of the

having assumed the position in January, 2007. He previously served ten years as the 16th president of

Southeastern Oklahoma State University Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Southeastern, SE, or SOSU) is a public university in Durant, Oklahoma. It had an undergraduate enrollment of 4,824 in 2019. History On March 6, 1909, the Second Oklahoma State Legislature approved an ac ...

in Durant, Oklahoma. In 2012, Johnson was elected to the

Southern Regional Education Board The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, that works to improve education at every level in its 16 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, M ...

of which he still a vice chairman. In 2014, the

Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) is an organization focused on empowering college, university, and foundation boards to govern with knowledge and confidence. AGB provides leadership and counsel to member board ...

have appointed Johnson to its Council of Presidents and the same year he was elected to the State Higher Education Executive Officers' Executive Committee. In 2019, Johnson announced his retirement, which began in fall of 2020.

Personal life

Glen Johnson Jr. lives in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

with his wife Melinda Pierce, a school teacher at

Edmond Memorial High School Edmond Memorial High School is a public secondary school located in Edmond, Oklahoma, one of three high schools in the Edmond school district. It serves approximately 2,300 students. History The school was originally named Edmond High School b ...

. Johnson was inducted into the

Oklahoma Hall of Fame The Oklahoma Hall of Fame was founded in 1927 by Anna B. Korn to officially celebrate Statehood Day, recognize Oklahomans dedicated to their communities, and provide educational programming for all ages. The first Oklahoma Hall of Fame Induction Cer ...

in 2006 and ten years later was also inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame. Johnson was succeeded as President of the Durant campus by Michael D. Turner.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Glen D. Jr. 1954 births Living people Heads of Oklahoma state agencies Politicians from Oklahoma City Presidents of Southeastern Oklahoma State University Speakers of the Oklahoma House of Representatives 20th-century American politicians