John Henry Summerskill (March 26, 1925 – June 14, 1990) was a Canadian educator who served as the seventh president of
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different ...
in the 1960s. Prior to this he was vice president for student affairs at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
. In the 1970s he was named president of
Athens College in Greece. He later moved to New Jersey, where he established a vineyard and became president of the New Jersey Wine Growers Association.
Education
He was born and raised in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, where he attended public schools before graduating from
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
excelling in football as well as academics. He received his
PhD in
clinical psychology from the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
.
Academic career
Joining the faculty of Cornell in the 1950s, he remained in Ithaca as a member of the faculty and administrator for fifteen years at which time he was named president of San Francisco State. His tenure in San Francisco was marked by student protests and clashes with Governor
Ronald Reagan.
After two years of turmoil he abruptly departed for
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
. He worked in
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
at Haile Sellassie University (now
Addis Ababa University) on a grant from the
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
. Later he became president of
Athens College in Greece.
Vintner
In the 1980s Dr. Summerskill retired from academic life and moved to
Belle Mead, New Jersey
Belle Mead is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Montgomery Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States.[Mimi LaFollette Summerskill
Miriam LaFollette "Mimi" Summerskill (June 2, 1917January 31, 2008) was an American educator, author, political activist, and vineyard owner.
Early life and education
Mimi was the eldest of four children. She grew up in Colfax, Washington where he ...]
.
They sold their wine under the name LaFollette and he was chosen president of the New Jersey Wine Growers Association. Their vineyard became the gathering place for policy and political discussions. The 1989 harvest and the people who helped pick the grapes was featured in an article in the
Wine Spectator
''Wine Spectator'' is an American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture, and gives out ratings to certain types of wine. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertain ...
.
Writer
He was a prolific writer, and his articles on a number of different subjects appeared in numerous publications. In the book, ''President Seven,'' he detailed his experiences at San Francisco State.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Summerskill, John
1925 births
1990 deaths
Writers from California
Writers from New Jersey
Writers from Montreal
Canadian expatriate writers in the United States
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Viticulturists
Presidents of San Francisco State University
Cornell University faculty
McGill University alumni
University of Pennsylvania alumni
La Follette family
20th-century American academics