Biography.guide
Home › People › Academic administrator › John W. Oswald
Portrait of John W. Oswald

John W. Oswald

1917 – 1995

American botanist and academic administrator

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About John W. Oswald

Lived 1917 – 1995 (aged 77). John W. Oswald was an American academic administrator, phytopathologist and university teacher.

John Wieland Oswald (October 11, 1917 – February 1, 1995) was president of the University of Kentucky, executive vice president of the University of California, and President of the Pennsylvania State University.

Biography Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1917, Oswald did his undergraduate work in botany at DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana and received his Ph.D. from the University of California in 1942. During World War II, Oswald served as a PT boat captain in the Mediterranean.

In 1946, Oswald taught plant pathology as an assistant professor at the Davis Campus of the University of California. He was chairman plant pathology department at the Berkeley Campus in 1954. In 1962 he became vice president for administration in the statewide system for the University of California.

Oswald was president of the University of Kentucky from 1963 to 1968. He was executive vice president of the University of California from 1968 to 1970. In 1970, he became president of Pennsylvania State University until he retired in 1983. He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1995.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of California, Berkeley, DePauw University, University of California
Employers
Pennsylvania State University, University of Kentucky, University of California, Davis
Also known as
John Wieland Oswald

People in John W. Oswald's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John W. Oswald's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John W. Oswald?

American botanist and academic administrator (1917–1995)

When was John W. Oswald born?

John W. Oswald was born on 11 October 1917 in Minneapolis.

When did John W. Oswald die?

John W. Oswald died on 1 February 1995 in Philadelphia.

What was John W. Oswald's occupation?

John W. Oswald was an academic administrator, phytopathologist and university teacher.

What nationality was John W. Oswald?

John W. Oswald was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John W. Oswald

· Wikidata: Q15460084

· DBpedia: John W. Oswald

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John W. Oswald. https://biography.guide/john-w-oswald/

MLA: "John W. Oswald." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-w-oswald/.

Chicago: "John W. Oswald." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-w-oswald/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:20 UTC