Ohio State Loses Beloved Friend, Educator and Leader, John T. Mount
Columbus, Ohio – John T. Mount, distinguished educator and devoted supporter of The Ohio State University and County Extension, died Thursday, Feb. 20. Mount was 95.
“With the passing of John T. Mount, The Ohio State University community has lost a dear friend and loyal supporter,” said Ohio State Interim President Joseph A. Alutto. “As an engaged alumnus and beloved longtime administrator, John dedicated his life to helping others achieve their goals, and in the process served as an outstanding role model for young people across the university and beyond. John’s generosity to the Ohio State family and his legacy as a truly inspiring leader will continue to endure for generations to come.”
As a firm believer in education and democracy, Mount became known as the initiator of Ohio State’s student recruitment efforts. He personally called on hundreds of prospective students and their parents and wrote thousands of letters each year to let them know about the resources and benefits he received from an Ohio State education.
“The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences never had a greater friend than John Mount,” said Dean Emeritus Bobby Moser. “He was one of Ohio State’s greatest ambassadors, with a history of more than 75 years of advocacy as a student, an employee and an enthusiastic emeritus. He truly believed in and lived the land grant university mission, reaching out to extend and promote the university at every opportunity – across the state, the nation and the world.”
His influence continues to be felt in many ways. In addition to lifelong involvement with 4-H, he helped institute a Mortar Board chapter on Ohio State’s campus in 1970. He also helped establish the Mount Leadership Society in memory of his late wife, Ruth Weimer Mount, who had been a longtime university administrator and volunteer.
“John Mount's impact on Ohio and Ohio State are immeasurable,” said Bruce A. McPheron, vice president for agricultural administration and dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. “John's contributions to 4-H leadership made Ohio 4-H a national model, and the Mount Leadership Society at Ohio State carries the leadership imperative to the college level. Taken together, John Mount’s efforts have provided Ohio State with the ability to transform society in communities across the state, the nation and the world.”
For his commitment to enriching the lives of countless people, Mount received many Ohio State accolades and honors: the Ambassador Medal, the Distinguished Service Award, the John B. Gerlach Sr. Development Volunteer Award, the Ohio Staters Founders Award and the E. Gordon Gee Spirit of Ohio State Award. In 2009, he was presented with the Mortar Board Distinguished Lifetime Membership Award. Mount also was a member of the Ohio 4-H Hall of Fame and, with wife Ruth, accepted the Volunteer Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Central Ohio chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals for his performance, devotion to and representation of the university.
In addition to helping launch the Ohio 4-H Foundation, he supported the student societies Mortar Board and Sphinx, the Alumni Association Endowment and the Ruth Mount Leadership Endowment. He established scholarships and leadership initiatives, as well as a gift annuity in support of the 4-H Center and a retirement account designated to the university. A Leadership Suite in Longaberger Alumni House and Mount Hall also bear his name in tribute.
Mount’s legacy includes his family. He was married to Bertha until her death in 1967. In 1969, he married Ruth, a former associate dean of women and dean of students at Ohio State; she passed away in 1997. Carroll Cook Mount, his third wife and a 1941 Ohio State graduate, passed away in 2005.
Mount had three sons and a daughter, all Ohio State graduates. Thomas L. Mount, now retired, and his wife, Carol, live in Blacklick, Ohio. John R. Mount and his wife, Kathryn, reside in Delaware, Ohio. Donald E. Mount and his wife, Judy, live in Marion, Ohio. Daughter Marilyn A. Mount passed away in 2012 following an illness. Mount also had eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
For more information on the life of John T. Mount and to contribute to the causes he held dear, visit his Ohio State memorial page.
About The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University is a dynamic community of diverse resources, where opportunity thrives and where individuals transform themselves and the world. Founded in 1870, Ohio State is a world-class public research university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state of Ohio. With more than 63,000 students (including 57,000 in Columbus), the Wexner Medical Center, 14 colleges, 80 centers and 175 majors, the university offers its students tremendous breadth and depth of opportunity in the liberal arts, the sciences and the professions.
