Spring/Summer 2024
Lessons in leadership: The life of John Byrne
Very recently, CEOAS and all of Oregon State University lost a giant upon whose shoulders much of our modern college stands. Geological oceanographer John Byrne was one of the OSU Department of Oceanography’s first faculty members, and he later became dean of oceanography, then OSU’s dean of research, then the dean of the graduate school, then vice president for research and graduate studies – a meteoric rise that soon led to a presidential appointment as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. After that appointment, he returned to his beloved OSU and became its twelfth president, serving from 1984 to 1995. He passed away at age 95 in January of 2024. John was a scholar, a teacher, a mentor, an artist and a huge Beaver booster.
His loss, and the process of preparing remarks for his recent celebration of life, led me to reflect on the concept of leadership, especially the lessons John’s own life imparted.
Be Bold.
John left a secure job in industry to join a department that only had two other faculty in 1960, in a field that few could even define.
Be kind.
John gave generously of his time, he listened carefully and completely, he asked probing questions, he shared anecdotes. He had the gift of buoying and uplifting everyone around him.
Be humble.
For John, it was never about himself, it was always about the cause: creating new knowledge, educating the next generation, being of service to the institution and to society.
The number of impactful initiatives John undertook at OSU and NOAA by following these precepts is incalculable. They include founding of the Marine Resource Management master’s program, whose fiftieth anniversary is celebrated in this issue of Strata. Having attended the recent MRM anniversary celebration and reunion, it is inspirational to see that John’s spirit lives on in the good work of MRM students and alums. They are bold, they are kind, and they are humble. They are also smart, driven and committed to finding solutions for some of our hardest societal problems. I think John Byrne would be proud. His legacy lives on.
