John Mowen to retire from OSU after 33 years
Monday, May 16, 2011
While at OSU, Mowen made some major contributions to the university. He taught more than 10,000 students, and he changed the way the Spears School’s marketing department operated with his unique perspective, said L. Lee Manzer, another professor of marketing at OSU.
“I have known John for a very long time,” Manzer said. “He’s what I’d call a renaissance man. At a land-grant university, we emphasize three areas: research, teaching, and service. Most professors can only do one or two of them well. John can and does all three. He has changed our department and has had a great influence on us.”
Manzer said Mowen’s greatest contribution to the university was his emphasis on high-quality research. Mowen has published more than 100 reference articles and written numerous textbooks and trade books, focusing his research consumer behavior and high-stakes decision-making. These books have been translated into multiple languages and have been marketed throughout the world.
Mowen also developed a new theory in the field of motivation and personality. His theory, called the 3M Model of Motivation and Personality, has been used by many of his colleagues, students and researchers from other universities. Mowen said it has also been useful in helping him with more than 25 of his own research studies, in which he examined unique human characteristics, such as believing in superstitions, consuming healthy diets, driving aggressively, gambling, investing in stocks, having cosmetic surgery, getting tattoos, traveling to remote places, and many others.
Mowen’s contributions to the university went further than teaching and researching, however. He was one of the founders of OSU’s Regents Professor organization, and he was the initial director for the OSU Creativity Initiative. This program has gained so much momentum that last year OSU established the Institute for Creativity and Innovation, an organization solely devoted to promoting and rewarding creativity and innovation on OSU’s campuses. Mowen also put together the team that conducted the market potential analysis to decide how large to make the expansion of the Gallagher-Iba basketball arena.
Because of his tremendous success at OSU, Mowen has been honored with many awards, including the Richard W. Poole Research Excellence Award, the Regents Distinguished Research Award and OSU’s Eminent Faculty Award.
If these contributions weren’t enough, Mowen also spent time working in the community. At various times, he was president of the Stillwater United Way and chairman of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce. He assisted in founding the Mission of Hope Shelter for the Homeless, and he was also member of Leadership Oklahoma, class number X.
“I was extremely fortunate to be hired by OSU,” Mowen said. “My career has been incredibly gratifying, and I have enjoyed the friendliness of the OSU community and the ability to engage in scholarly activities of my choice. My hope is that I have positively influenced the many students and colleagues with whom I have had the pleasure of working.”
Mowen earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of William and Mary in 1969. From 1969 to 1973, Mowen served as a U.S. Army officer attaining the rank of captain, and he earned a Bronze Star for his actions in Vietnam. In 1977, he received his doctoral degree in social psychology from Arizona State University, and he taught at Arizona State while he was completing his post-doctoral study in marketing.
Mowen’s wife, Maryanne, is also retiring from the Spears School this June. They are moving to Sante Fe, New Mexico, where they plan to go hiking and do a great deal of landscaping around their home. John Mowen plans to continue writing and doing research in the areas of sustainable enterprise and managerial and consumer decision-making.