Lehner Named Recipient of Franzheim Endowed Library Professorship
John Lehner
John Lehner, associate dean of personnel, planning, and systems, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Ambassador Kenneth Franzheim II Endowed Library Professorship, effective April 1, 2015.
The Ambassador Kenneth Franzheim II Endowed Library Professorship was established to support a full time librarian in the MD Anderson Library at the University of Houston. The candidate must have exceeded the requirements to achieve the rank of full professor, or full librarian, and must be recognized as an individual who has advanced their discipline, who is regarded for leadership and whose opinions are highly respected.
“John Lehner’s appointment reflects his exceptional performance as a leader and a scholar in the field of librarianship,” said Dean of Libraries and Elizabeth D. Rockwell Chair Dana Rooks. “The majority of his library career has been focused on the critical area of human resource management and administration. He has achieved strong national recognition in this field through his leadership in the development of new practices and policies reflecting the rapid changes in employee expectations, legal requirements, and transformational organization needs which permeate today’s human resource arena.”
Lehner’s scholarship is widely noted for its careful analysis of the dynamic landscape of human resource administration. Professional library associations, such as the American Library Association/Association of College and Research Libraries, and research library consortia such as the Association of Research Libraries, frequently call upon Lehner’s knowledge in creating standards and guidelines, developing initiatives and enhancing programs in human resource endeavors. His areas of expertise range from diversity to executive leadership to workforce development.
Kenneth Franzheim II was a Houston oilman and philanthropist. He served as ambassador to New Zealand, Western Samoa, Tonga and Fiji from 1969 to 1972.
Franzheim was also a friend and supporter of the UH Libraries, with a strong belief in education and lifelong learning. His father was the prominent Houston architect whose best known building was the downtown Foley’s Department Store. Ambassador Franzheim generously donated his late father’s collection of rare architecture books to the William R. Jenkins Architecture and Art Library, and created a number of endowments for the preservation and expansion of the Architecture Library Special Collection, a fund to purchase materials in literature and the arts in honor of his daughters, and a generous gift to the building expansion and renovation.
The UH Libraries held a reception honoring Lehner this month at the MD Anderson Library Rockwell Pavilion.