In memoriam: Gladys Styles Johnston

Gladys Styles Johnston, former dean of ASU’s College of Education (now known as Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College) passed away on June 20 in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was 79 years old. Johnson was dean from 1986 to 1991.

She went on to be chancellor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney from 1993 to 2002. Prior to her tenure in Nebraska, Johnston was provost and then executive vice president at DePaul University in Chicago. Her higher education experience also includes positions at Rutgers University and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Ten years ago, Johnston was appointed as assistant to the president of AASCU’s Millennium Leadership Initiative. The program assisted academic administrators at the level of dean or higher who planned to seek presidency or chancellorship of a university. The program also encouraged minority administrators to explore their career goals and supported their advancement toward a college or university presidency. Johnston led the project until 2015.