Glen Johnson, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for strategic communications, shares some of his experiences traveling the world with former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a Lawrence University Povolny Lecture Series in International Studies address.
Based on his forthcoming book of the same title, Johnson presents “Window Seat on the World: A View of U.S. Leadership and Diplomacy” Monday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
A 1985 Lawrence graduate, spent four years (2013-2017) working in the U.S. Department of State, accompanying Kerry to 91 countries and all seven continents while racking up 1.3 million miles of travel. He was at Kerry’s side for negotiations over Syria’s chemical weapons program, Afghanistan’s power-sharing agreement, Iran’s nuclear program, the Middle East peace process and the Paris climate change accord.
Prior to entering public service, Johnson enjoyed a lengthy journalism career that included positions with the City News Bureau of Chicago, The Salem (Mass.) Evening News, The Sun of Lowell, Mass., The Associated Press and The Boston Globe. During that span, he covered five presidential campaigns and eight national nominating conventions. As a columnist for the Boston Globe, he wrote an open letter to then Republican presidential Mitt Romney prior to a Feb. 2012 campaign stop at Lawrence to give the former governor a brief history lesson on Lawrence and Appleton.
While a student at Lawrence, Johnson wrote for The Lawrentian and was a tight end on the 1981 football team that reached the national semifinals of the NCAA D-III football playoffs and was subsequently inducted into the Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.
