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

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, 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 in 1972. He completed his bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Oklahoma and then obtained his Juris Doctor from the

Oklahoma City University School of Law Oklahoma City University School of Law, also known as OCU Law, is the law school of Oklahoma City University. OCU Law is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and was founded in 1907. OCU Law was located in the Sarkeys Law Center on the southwest side ...

. During his college years, he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa 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 The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

, 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 Oklahoma State System of Higher Education having assumed the position in January, 2007. He previously served ten years as the 16th president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University in

Durant, Oklahoma Durant () is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States that serves as the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The population was 18,589 in the 2020 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical A ...

. 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 with his wife Melinda Pierce, a school teacher at Edmond Memorial High School. Johnson was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame 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