John Saddlemire to speak on his father’s student affairs legacy

BOWLING GREEN, O.—The University will welcome alumnus Dr. John Saddlemire, vice president for student affairs at Bryant University, to campus Oct. 17 to present the 25th annual Saddlemire Lecture in Student Affairs, named after his father, the late Gerald L. Saddlemire. The free lecture, “Would Jerry Tweet? Transmitting the Saddlemire Ethic,” will take place from 10-11 a.m. in 308 Bowen-Thompson Student Union.

At BGSU, the Saddlemire name is virtually synonymous with student affairs. Dr. Gerald Saddlemire served as the first department chair in higher education and student affairs, from 1969-85, and continued teaching and advising students until his death at the age of 70 in 1991. He helped shape the highly regarded College Student Personnel program that brought BGSU recognition as a leader in the field.

He expanded the curriculum and arranged for a number of internships for College Student Personnel graduate students. The size of the class increased to 17 in the 1970-71 academic year. Opportunities for salaried internships for the graduate students increased both on the Bowling Green campus and at other local colleges.

He was so influential that BGSU named an iconic building, the round Saddlemire Student Services Building, in his honor. The building stood for 40 years until it was removed to make way for the Wolfe Center for the Arts, in 2007. Today, his legacy lives on in the scholarships named for him and his philosophy that endures in the program.

Continuing in his father’s footsteps, John Saddlemire also has a long history in student affairs. Before moving to Bryant University, he served as the vice president for student affairs, as well as dean of students, at the University of Connecticut.

His administrative experience is complemented by more than 25 years of continuous teaching experience and deep appreciation for the core purposes of higher education, along with publishing and speaking.

He holds a Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Administration from The Pennsylvania State University, and a Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University. He received his bachelor’s degree from BGSU.