Former ACUI President J. William Johnston Passes Away
Former ACUI President J. William (Bill) Johnston passed away December 23, 2005.
Johnston served as president from 1991–92; before this, he was the vice president for committee affairs from 1980–83 and served on the Task Force 2000.
During his presidential term, Johnston led the replacement for a new executive director, following the death of Dick Blackburn, and managed Association budget reductions as campuses struggled with financial impacts of lowered enrollment and a recession.
Despite the difficulties of the times, Johnston, with his self-proclaimed “pie-in-the-sky thinking,” focused on how ACUI and the profession could prevail, noting in his presidential speech: “The union has continued as that unifying force through wars, economic crisis, tumultuous growth and ultimate downsizing because it offers all members of the campus the opportunity to meet on common ground.”
Johnston worked at Pennsylvania State University, California State University–Los Angeles, Southern Methodist University, and Northwestern University throughout his career. He retired in 2005.
Upon retirement, Johnston was awarded Honorary Lifetime Membership from ACUI. Reflecting on his career during the awards ceremony, Johnston said, “The closest friendships that I have in this world have been made in this Association … We are educators, and we’re the hardest working people in the world.”
Johnston did not shy away from that hard work. He will be remembered as a leader and mentor who had a profound influence on students and colleagues.
