John H. Owen

John H. Owen (June 22, 1922 – February 15, 2011) was the twelfth president of the University of North Georgia (UNG) and a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy during the Second World War. He was the president of UNG for twenty-two years, longer than any other president in the university's history.

In 1959 Owen became professor of plant pathology and plant genetics at the University of Georgia. He is commonly credited as the primary actor in UGA's acquisition of its multimillion-dollar plant-science building. While at the university, Owen invested a good amount of his time and energy working with the United States Forest Service. It was through his work with the USFS that he was able to establish the forest pathology division in his department. Much research efforts were also devoted to the study of disease in subtropical plants. The attention and renown he received in this specific area of study brought him many invitations, most from the Organization of American States, to give lectures in Cuba, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, In 1968 Owen was promoted to director of all agricultural experiment stations in the state of Georgia.

North Georgia College

In 1970, Owen succeeded Merritt Eldred Hoag as president North Georgia College (now known as the University of North Georgia). His predecessors, Hoag and Rogers, had devoted much of their presidency to building projects. It was because of their work that Owen was able to divert his energy elsewhere, away from new construction projects. Instead, Owen focused on increasing student enrollment, which would in turn increase the school's budget and faculty salary. He was assisted in this endeavor by many of the friends he had in the Georgia General Assembly as well as his longtime friend Governor/President Jimmy Carter.