Ockle Johnson began his academic endeavors by earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Siena College in 1976. He then broadened his studies, achieving a Master of Arts in Theology from Washington Theological Union in 1981. His academic pursuits then steered towards mathematics, culminating in two further degrees: a Master of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Georgia in 1983, and finally, a PhD in Mathematics from Brown University in 1990. It was the completion of this doctorate that paved the way for Dr. Johnson to join Keene State College as a Professor of Mathematics.
Ockle arrived at KSC in 1992 and taught in its mathematics department for over 30 years. When asked about his most affirming moments teaching at KSC, Ockle’s reply on the KSC website was that it “was when his daughters and their classmates received excellent high school mathematics instruction from one of my former students.” He, in fact, taught many students who built careers in Keene in fields such as teaching, insurance, and other computational areas. Ockle was named KSC Outstanding Teacher in 2002. While being an outstanding teacher would have been sufficient, Ockle’s straightforward approach and integrity earned him great appreciation from his colleagues both within and outside of KSC, in our community, and in his profession.
Ockle served on the College Senate, the faculty union, and the promotion and tenure committee, leading each of these during his tenure. He became very active in leadership roles with the Mathematical Association of America from 2000 through 2016, leading the Northeast section and serving on the Association’s Governing Board for many years. Again, while being an outstanding teacher and a leader in his field would have been sufficient, Ockle’s contributions continued.
When KSC underwent a leadership transition and President Treadwell was appointed, she turned to Ockle to fill the position of KSC Provost from 2019 through his retirement in 2021. Even if Ockle had simply retired at that point, his accomplishments would have been significant. However, Ockle continues to pursue new goals and achievements.
While we don’t typically share the age of our honorees, in Ockle’s case, it’s important to understand why his recent achievements beyond our region have earned him this recognition.
Ockle turned 70 in 2024. Leading up to this year’s 2025 Boston Marathon, last year (2024) at 70, Ockle ran three of the six legs of the global marathon competitions. He achieved impressive results, placing third in Boston, second in Chicago, and fourth in NYC in his age group (70-74), and was the highest-placed American in all three races.
Also last year (2024), he finished first in the over-70 age group at the East Bay (RI) and Clarence DeMar half marathons. He also placed first in the 70+ age group at the Holyoke St. Patrick’s 10K for the past two years (2023 and 2024). Locally, Ockle finished first among those 70 and over at the Keene Runway 5K, Four on the Fourth, and the Wobble Gobble.
Two weeks ago, Ockle placed fifth at the 2025 Boston Marathon and was the second American in his age group with a time of 3:32. To provide some perspective, there were 228 finishers in this age group at Boston this year.
The Age Group 2025 World Championship will be held at the NYC Marathon this year on November 2nd. Ockle will be participating in many local races this year as he prepares for the NYC Marathon.
In the hometown that proudly claims Clarence DeMar as its local marathon hero, it is fitting that we honor Ockle for his accomplished academic career and celebrate his athletic achievements to date. We also wish him success as he trains for the age group world championships later this year.
In recognition of his accomplishments and the visibility he has brought to Keene’s running community, we were pleased to present him with an honorary key to the city as a token of our appreciation for his service and achievements.
Mayor Jay Kahn
