DarlingJohn-biography

John R. Darling is President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Marketing and International Business at Pittsburg State University. He retired from the presidency as of July 1, 1999, following distinguished service as a university administrator and leadership roles both nationally and internationally focusing on strategic planning, institutional accreditation, and university fundraising and development. He holds membership on the boards of several business and civic organizations, and is a certified commercial arbitrator and mediator on the national panel of the American Arbitration Association.

Dr. Darling has also served as Chancellor of LSU in Shreveport, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mississippi State, and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research at Texas Tech. In addition, he has held positions at Wichita State University and Southern Illinois University, and visiting professorships at various universities in the United States, Finland, Taiwan, Mexico, Bulgaria, Egypt, South Korea and Japan. He holds a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Alabama, a Ph.D. from-the University of Illinois, and an honorary Ph.D. from Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan.

In his major leadership positions in higher education, he gained recognition for a number of achievements. Included among these were administrative team-building, research and sponsored project development, international outreach, technology enhancement and private fundraising. He has also experienced the honor of receiving Special faculty senate and university foundation commendations, and been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the Helsinki (Finland) School of Economics and the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

As an intemationally known scholar, lecturer and consultant, Dr. Darling is the author or co-author of twelve books and monographs, and over 200 articles published in academic and professional joumals. He has presented research papers at numerous professional meetings and conducted management and marketing seminars for various organizations in the United States and in several other countries. He has continued to be active as a classroom teacher and guest lecturer, and has received recognition as an outstanding professor at Texas Tech, Mississippi State and the Helsinki School of Economics.

Dr. Darling has held management positions with the J. C. Penney Company and Business Research Associates, and has been a consultant to such U.S. business firms as AT&T, Citibank, Delta Airlines, DuPont, Ford, Holiday Inns and Texas Instruments. as well as numerous foreign organizations. His biographical reference appears in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Ametican Education and Who's Who in the World. He enjoys the outdoors, especially tennis and golf. He and his wife, Melva, have three married children: Stephen, Cynthia and Gregory; and seven grandchildren.

*Prepared by the Office of Public Relations, Pittsburg State University.