Michael Kent Young (born November 4, 1949) is an American lawyer. He served as the 25th president of

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

from 2015 to 2020, as the 31st president of the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

from 2011 to 2015, as the 14th president of the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

from 2004 to 2011, and as dean of the

George Washington University Law School The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, a Private university, private research university in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest law school in Washington, D. ...

from 1998 to 2004.

Early life and education

Young was born and raised in

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

. He received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

with majors in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

and

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

from

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

in 1973 and a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

in 1976.

Career

After law school, his judicial clerkships, and positions at two law firms, Young joined the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

and served as Deputy Legal Adviser, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic and Agricultural Affairs, and Ambassador for Trade and Environmental Affairs in the Bush administration. Among many other international agreements, Young worked on treaties related to German unification, as well as the

North American Free Trade Agreement The North American Free Trade Agreement (, TLCAN; , ALÉNA), referred to colloquially in the Anglosphere as NAFTA, ( ) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that created a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The ...

(NAFTA) and Uruguay Round negotiations leading to the

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...

and

Earth Summit The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio de Janeiro Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92, Cúpula da Terra), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 ...

. Following his work at the United States Department of State, Young became a professor and administrator at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

from 1994 to 1998 and at

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

from 1998 to 2004. His academic positions included serving as Fuyo Professor of Japanese Law and Legal Institutions and Director of the Columbia Law School Center for Japanese Legal Studies, and as Dean and Lobingier Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence at

. Young served as the 14th president of the

from August 2004 to May 2011. He served as the 31rd president of the

from July 2011 to April 2015.

Texas A&M University

Young became president of Texas A&M University in May 2015. On June 24, 2020, 21-year-old Texas A&M's senior student Isaiah Martin reported finding racist notes on his car at Texas A&M University. On June 25, Young published a statement, condemning such acts as irreconcilable with the institution's values and warning that those responsible would face sanctions under the student-conduct code. Young offered a $1,200 reward for information leading to the perpetrators and authorized the release of surveillance footage, photographs, and audio recordings from the vicinity of Martin’s vehicle. After reviewing these materials, investigators at the Texas A&M University Police Department determined that the complainant Isaiah Martin was the only person present around the car long enough to have placed the notes himself and closed the case on July 10. Young announced his intention to retire from the presidency of Texas A&M University on September 2, 2020 to be effective in May 2021. In November, it was announced the resignation would take effect earlier on December 31, 2020. Young expressed his desire to join the

Bush School of Government and Public Service The Bush School of Government & Public Service is an academic college of Texas A&M University founded in 1997 under former President of the United States, President George H. W. Bush's philosophy that "public service is a noble calling." Since t ...

at the Texas A&M University, where he would become the first director of the Institute for Religious Liberties and International Affairs.

Boards and organizations

Young served on the

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a U.S. federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. USCIRF commissioners are appointed by the president and the lead ...

from 1998 to 2005, including twice serving as its chair. He is a member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

and a fellow of the

American Bar Foundation The American Bar Foundation (ABF) is a nonprofit research institute established in 1952 and located in Chicago, United States. The American Bar Foundation is located in the same building as Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in do ...

Personal life

He served as

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Stake A stake is a large wooden or metal implement designed to be driven into the ground and may refer to: Tools * Archer's stake, a defensive stake carried by medieval longbowmen * Survey stakes, markers used by surveyors * Sudis (stake) (Latin for ...

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

from 1985 to 1989. Young married fellow BYU alumna Suzan Stewart in 1972, whom he met during her freshman year while dating her roommate, and they are the parents of three children. They divorced in 2010. On June 3, 2011, he married Marti Denkers (Young). Young's relationship with Denkers was the subject of some controversy: Denkers was a student at the University of Utah during the time Young presided over it, and she was formerly married to Steve Denkers, a member of the wealthy Eccles family that has given hundreds of millions of dollars to the University of Utah over the years.

Honours

* Royal House of Portugal:

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

of the

Order of Saint Michael of the Wing The Royal Equestrian and Military Order of Saint Michael of the Wing (, ) is a Portuguese Roman Catholic dynastic order that is believed to have been founded in 1147 in the Alcobaça Monastery in Alcobaça, Portugal, by King Afonso I of Portug ...

(2007)

References

External links

* *
Michael K. Young CV
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Michael K Presidents of Texas A&M University Presidents of the University of Washington Presidents of the University of Utah Columbia University faculty George Washington University faculty Harvard Law School alumni Brigham Young University alumni American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints American Mormon missionaries in Japan Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States Living people Latter Day Saints from Texas 1949 births Latter Day Saints from Utah Latter Day Saints from Massachusetts Latter Day Saints from New York (state) Latter Day Saints from Washington, D.C. Latter Day Saints from Washington (state)