Bob Glennen's UP HOF Bio

One of the nation's leading teacher education reform pioneers, Dr. Robert E. Glennen, Jr. died Tuesday, Dec. 1, in Las Vegas, NV, at the age of 82 due to complications from a fall. He was born March 31, 1933 to Robert E. Glennen, Sr. and, Laverda Elledge Glennen, near Omaha, Nebraska. Glennen was an outstanding athlete, scholar, and loving father and grandfather. Glennen earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in counseling from the University of Notre Dame, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in languages and an Master of Education degree in Educational Administration from the University of Portland.

Glennen was renowned nationally for his teacher education reform efforts and innovations while president at several institutions of higher education through the Renaissance Group, Project 30, and the President's Commission on Teacher Education, sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Glennen chaired that Commission. He served as president of Emporia State University (KS) for 13 years from 1984-1997. He came to ESU from Western New Mexico University, where he had served as president from 1980-84. Previously, he had been acting president, vice president and dean at University of Nevada, Las Vegas after beginning his administrative career as an associate dean at the University of Notre Dame. After retiring from ESU, Glennen served as interim President at then University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University-Pueblo) from 2001-2002 and later as Assistant to the Bishop for the Archdiocese of Yakama (WA), where he served as superintendent of Catholic schools from 2006-09.

Glennen took the helm of ESU at a time when the university bore the marks of years of declining state support. He faced a $1.1 million budget cut, declining enrollments, and even the threatened closing of the institution. He adopted Daring to Excel as his administration's theme and challenged the university to succeed in academics, advising, extracurricular activities, and athletics in spite of its current condition.  Twelve years later, the university was financially sound and enjoying a national reputation as a leader in teacher education reform and student retention and as an innovative marketer through its regional distance program in the School of Library and Information Management.

Glennen was instrumental in the founding of the National Teachers Hall of Fame, located in The Teachers College at ESU. He was one of six finalists for the AASCU 1992 Presidential Award for Support of Teacher Education. In 1989, he received the National Academic Advising Association's Award of Excellence for contributions to the field of academic advising over a 20-year period. He also has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Portland, the Outstanding Faculty Award at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of Notre Dame Man of the Year. He was named a 1994 Kansas Master Teacher and was the 1994 recipient of the Mike Harder Public Administrator of the Year Award by the Kansas Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. His name also appears on the Teachers Wall of Fame at the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Glennen Field at the Trusler Sports Complex at Emporia State was named in his honor in 1995.

He was inducted to the University of Portland Athletic Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions to intercollegiate athletics as a student-athlete, coach, and administrator. As a student at University of Portland, Glennen was a four-year starter in baseball and captain as a senior. After one year as an assistant coach, Glennen was named head baseball coach of the Pilots at age 23. While completing his master's degree in administration, he guided the Pilots to two NCAA playoff appearances and two NAIA District championships. In 1958, he was named Collegiate Baseball Coach of the Year after his team finished second to eventual national champion, the University of Southern California, for the Pacific Coast championship. He was the only player inducted into the University of Portland's Athletic Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.

He is survived by his wife of almost 58 years, Mary, his eight children, Maureen, Glennen, Robert E. Glennen, III, Mary Colleen Glennen Betts (M. Dean),  William O'Brien Glennen, (Christiana), Barry Glennen (Debbie), Katie Glennen, Molly Glennen Singleton (Joseph) and Kerry Glennen Williams (Jason);  Ten grandchildren, Abby Glennen, Ian Glennen, Josiah Glennen, Hannah Glennen, Rachel Glennen, Lucy Glennen, Eva Glennen, Ellery Singleton and Evelyn Singleton, Calli Wolf and Keegan Wolf. 
 
On Monday, Dec. 7, a mass and memorial service was held at the St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Church in Las Vegas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Dr. Robert and Mary Glennen Scholarship at Emporia State University (620-341-5440) or to the baseball program at the University of Portland (up.edu/giving). Condolences may be sent to The Glennen Family at 2620 Lake Sahara Dr. #12, Las Vegas, NV 89117.