Joseph Lee Sutton (March 22, 1924 – April 29, 1972) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

academic who served as the thirteenth president of

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

Early life and education

Sutton was born in

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, Oklahoma, to Erville C. Sutton and Carolyn E. (Hatch) Sutton. After graduating from high school, he attended

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

for one year before enlisting in the army in 1943. He was discovered to have an aptitude for languages, which led the army to enroll him in Japanese language courses at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. Upon completion of the program, he was commissioned a Lieutenant and sent to

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

to serve as a Japanese language officer in

General Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army. He served with distinction in World War I; as chief of ...

's headquarters. Sutton continued his education at the

after being discharged from the army. He received an A.B. in Oriental Languages in 1948, an A.M. in Oriental Civilization in 1949, and a Ph.D. in Political Science in 1954.

Professional background

* U.S. Army intelligence officer (1944–1946) *

Social Science Research Council The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is a US-based, independent, international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research in the social sciences and related disciplines. Established in Manhattan in 1923, it maintains a headqua ...

Fellow (1951–1952) * Lecturer at

Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a Private university, private research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1967 by a merger between Western Reserve University and the Case Institute of Technology. Case ...

(1952–1953) * Professor of Government at Indiana University (1953–1972) * Dean of IU's College of Arts and Sciences (1965–1966) * Vice President and Dean of the Faculties at IU (1966–1968) * President of IU (1968–1971)

Tenure at Indiana University

Joseph Lee Sutton was an academic presence on the

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

campus for 13 years before taking over as President from Interim President and Chancellor

Herman B Wells Herman B Wells (June 7, 1902 – March 18, 2000), a native of Boone County, Indiana, was the eleventh president of Indiana University Bloomington and its first university chancellor. He was pivotal in the transformation of Indiana Universi ...

in 1968. During his years as professor he was considered to be an excellent educator and in 1955 he received Sigma Delta Chi's "Brown Derby" award, which was granted to the most popular professor.Roehr, Eleanor L. "Trustees and Officers of Indiana University 1950 to 1982." Print. 6 October 2012. As President, he was respected by administrators and faculty at IU. Sutton's brief tenure as President saw many challenges, including widespread protests on campus about U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He oversaw the dedication of a new IU library in 1969, the same year that an act of arson was committed at the old library that cost an estimated $650,000 in damages. The culprit was never found.Wynkoop, Mary Ann. ''Dissent in the Heartland: The Sixties at Indiana University.'' Print. 2012. Sutton resigned his position as President in the fall of 1970 and was replaced by then Vice President John W. Ryan. He continued to work as a professor of political science at IU until his death.

Personal life

Sutton married Jean Harkness on August 19, 1945 and together they had four children: James Werner, Geoffrey Joseph, David Harkness, and Abigail Jean. His wife Jean's death in 1970 prompted Sutton to resign as President of IU in order to spend more time with his children. He married Elizabeth Josephson in March 1971. Just prior to the couple's departure to Japan, where Sutton was slated to become an exchange Professor at

Tenri University is a Japanese private university in Tenri, Nara Prefecture, an independent part of the secular mission of the new religious movement Tenrikyo. It was established in February 1925 as the coeducational , enrolling 104 students, and was reorganis ...

, they were involved in a car accident. He died on April 29, 1972, at the age of 48, as a result of injuries sustained from the accident.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutton, Joseph 1924 births University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni Indiana University faculty 1972 deaths Presidents of Indiana University 20th-century American academics