Presidents John Paul Leonard and Glenn Dumke with Family Members, San Francisco State College

Appointed in August 1945, Leonard guided San Francisco State through a period of rapid growth, including the development of a General Education program and the expansion of academic offerings. He helped secure funding—such as a $125,177 grant from the Ford Foundation—to explore innovative teaching methods, including early uses of television in the classroom.

Leonard played a central role in establishing the Lake Merced campus, a contribution later recognized by the California State University Board of Trustees when naming the J. Paul Leonard Library. At its 1977 dedication, Leonard reflected on the honor, noting the symbolic importance of the library as representing the entire institution.

After leaving San Francisco State in 1957, Leonard became president of the American University of Beirut.

Additional contributions included the development of extension programs across California and the expansion of evening and continuing education opportunities. His legacy also extends to the Sierra Nevada Field Campus; Leonard Creek in Tahoe National Forest is named in his honor.

[Cross-reference: Success Story at San Francisco State College’s Dedication Week: https://diva.sfsu.edu/collections/sfbatv/bundles/187042]

Glenn S.  Dumke, (1917-1989): San Francisco State College President 1957-1961. Glenn S. Dumke earned his B.A. and M.A. from Occidental College in Los Angeles and received his Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Los Angeles. A noted historian of the American West, Dumke served as President of San Francisco State College from 1957 to 1961. During his presidency, he was one of three administrators—alongside Paul Dodd and Frank Fenton—who supported the creation of the first college-sanctioned free speech platform in the United States. This redwood structure, located in the northwest corner of the Quad, gave students a formal space for civic engagement, public discourse, and the exchange of controversial ideas—a significant precursor to the broader student activism that would follow in the 1960s. Dumke played a pivotal role in shaping public higher education across the state. He contributed to the landmark California Master Plan for Higher Education and the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960, which provided the foundation and funding for the creation of the California State College System.Following his presidency at SF State, Dumke became the first Chancellor for Academic Affairs and later served as Chancellor of the California State University system, remaining in that role until 1982. He passed away in 1989.

Credits: John Paul Leonard's bio and Glenn Dumke's bio were provided by Meredith Eliassen and some descriptions were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.