John Brooks Slaughter, who served as the president of Occidental College in Los Angeles for 25 years and later became the chancellor of the University of Maryland, College Park, passed away on December 8, 2023. He was 89 years old.
Slaughter was born in Chicago in 1934 and graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in history and literature. He earned his master’s degree from Yale University and his doctorate from Stanford University.
He began his academic career as a professor of history at Harvard University in 1962. He also served as the director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University from 1976 to 1980.
In 1980, he joined Occidental College as its president. He led the college through a period of growth and transformation, expanding its academic programs, increasing its enrollment, enhancing its research and community engagement, and improving its financial stability.
He also oversaw several major initiatives, such as the establishment of the School of International Studies in 1984, the creation of the Center for Creative Writing in 1987, the renovation of several campus buildings, and the development of new facilities such as libraries, laboratories, studios, and dormitories.
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He retired from Occidental College in 1999 after serving for 25 years. He was widely respected and admired by students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and community partners for his vision, leadership, integrity, generosity, and humility.
Today for Black History Month, we celebrate John Brooks Slaughter #BlackHistoryMonth#BlackHistoryMonth2023 pic.twitter.com/HW9HqCq2d3
— Katharine Davis (@BHSchemTchr) February 14, 2023
He then became the chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM) in 2000. He was responsible for overseeing seven public universities that serve more than one million students across Maryland. He also served as a member of several national boards and commissions related to higher education policy.
He retired from USM in 2015 after serving for nine years. He remained active in various civic and philanthropic activities until his death.
Slaughter is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary; his three children: John Jr., Susan (David), and Mark; his six grandchildren; and his great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on December 15 at Occidental College Chapel. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Occidental College Foundation or USM Foundation.
