John Brooks Slaughter M.S. ’61

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Throughout his career, breaking new professional ground has been a way of life for John Brooks Slaughter. The first engineer to head the National Science Foundation, Slaughter, who earned his master’s degree from UCLA in 1961, was also chancellor of the University of Maryland’s College Park campus, a post he held from 1982 until 1988. Today, he is president of Occidental College.

With a distinguished career that spans three professions – public servant, scientist/engineer and educational administrator – Slaughter has brought to each a unique combination of insight, skill and leadership. His prodigious achievements have gained him the unqualified respect and admiration of his peers in each field, earning him 16 honorary degrees and numerous awards, including membership in the National Academy of Engineering.

Beyond his professional milieu, Slaughter has an equally distinguished record of service as a member of transit advisory boards in San Diego and Seattle and as chairman of the Governor’s Task Force on Teenage Pregnancy in Maryland. He also serves on the boards of directors of Avery International Corporation, IBM, Monsanto Company and Union Bank. Ultimately, however, Slaughter’s achievements are secondary to the man himself – someone who uses his intellect, vision and talents to further the interests of humankind.