By Lamesha Green and Benjamin E. Lykens ( Whetstone Staff Writers)

For Dr. William N. Johnston, there has never been a separation of church and state.

He said he combines the work of his father, a Presbyterian minister, and his mother, a teacher, in his role as president of Wesley College.

He views his job from both an educational and spiritual perspective. He said he hopes that every student who comes to Wesley leaves with a degree but also with a relationship with God.

“Dr. Johnston strikes me as someone who is generally concerned about the students as a whole person,” said Erica Brown, former director of spiritual life and community engagement. “When he stops and says hello to student, it’s coming from a genuine place.”

He also said he views himself more as a servant to his students than an authority figure.

“A president needs to be a leader but also a servant to all his constituents,” Johnston said.

Johnston, 62, was born the third of six children near Pittsburgh, the only boy.

“Growing up with my family we developed great relationships,” he said. “We were and continue to be very close.”

Johnston, at an early age, was active in his church, doing many food and clothing drives.

Johnston also worked on a farm that belonged to two of his aunts, bailing hay and cutting grass for them. He received no money in return.

“I found great satisfaction in assisting others and putting them before oneself,” he said.

Johnston said that one instance in particular opened his eyes: when he was an exchange student in Holland.

“It helped me understand and appreciate the larger world and gave me an awareness of people living in poverty,” he said.

Johnston said he learned the importance of getting an education from his mother.

“I’ve always been proud that on the salaries my parents were making they were able to somehow send us all to college,” he said.

Before he became the president of Wesley in 2008, Johnston worked at several different colleges, holding various titles, including associate vice president for development, vice president of institutional advancement, and president at Iowa Wesleyan College.

Johnston said his peers noticed that he possessed qualities that made him an ideal candidate for becoming a president.

“I have a dedication to these types of colleges,” he said of traditionally Christian-based schools. “You have to keep your priorities straight and my priority is the students and faculty. They are the reason we keep working.”

Johnston said that he likes to live by the ideals behind one of his favorite quotes – “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’re not worried about who gets the credit.”

Johnston said he also lives his life through his strong relationship with “my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” which, he said, led him to serve others.

“People have said my interest in people is authentic and not just surface level,” he said.

Johnston recently moved his office from the third floor of College Center to a separate house down the street from the college. He said that he did this so that financial aid will become more easily accessible.

The only problem he has with the move, he said, is less contact with the students.

Johnston is also known around Wesley’s campus for his bow ties.

About 25 years ago, while working at another college, Johnston received a bow tie as a gift. He wore the bow tie for a week straight.

“I quit wearing the bow ties and students said that they liked them and didn’t even recognize me,” he said. “I’ve been wearing them ever since.”

Debbie Windett, women’s lacrosse coach, said that Dr. Johnston and his wife have been nothing but supportive to her and her team.

“This is my third year here and I have found him and his wife to be super supportive to the kids,” Windett said. “I get emails from him after games congratulating the kids and he also attends several practices and games making himself visible to the team.”

 

By Lamesha Green

 

She was born to do this.

Since the age of two, Susan Johnston has always considered herself an artist.

“I don’t remember ever not being an artist,” Johnston said. “Art has always been important to me and it’s a wonderful opportunity to express yourself.”

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Johnston graduated from Westminster College in Wilmington, Pa.,  with a B.A. degree in  arts education. She taught art for 15 years in Ohio and West Virginia. She also drew illustrations for HousePlant Magazine in the early 1990s.

“You never know when hard work is going to pay off,” she said. “For me, art has been a wonderful way to make a life. I can be alone, but not lonely because I have work to do.”

When her husband, Dr. William Johnston, of 38 years became president of Wesley College in 2008, Susan Johnston put her career on hold and moved to Delaware.

“There were times where I left a job for my family and to advance my husband’s opportunities,” she said. “I am very fortunate as an artist. There are a lot of opportunities for me to develop my own art work.”

After the move, Johnston’s focus returned to art.

“My art work balances out to keep my life on an equilibrium,” she said. “It’s a good friend that has led me to amazing opportunities.”

Johnston has been painting for more than 40 years and has been involved in several projects, including the downtown historic preservation program, and is a member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society, and the international organization Journees de Peintures. Johnston’s watercolor paintings have won awards in regional and national shows.

A piece of blank paper provides an artist with a way to express herself, she said. “Each painting is different. Some paintings I’ve sold and some represent different chapters in my life.”

Ellen Coleman, President Johnston’s assistant, said she had no interest in watercolor art until she saw Johnston’s paintings.

“However, when I saw several paintings displayed in President Johnston’s office, I immediately liked them and then found out they were done by Mrs. Johnston,” she said  “Mrs. Johnston is a very talented artist and I’m grateful that I have two of her paintings hanging in my office.”