Bryan M. Johnston, who recently was selected to become the next president of Saint Martin’s University, died in his sleep at his home in Salem, Ore., on Friday night, the university has announced. Mr. Johnston, who was 59, was to have taken office at Saint Martin’s, a Roman Catholic institution in Washington State, on July 1. The cause of his death was not known, The Oregonian reported.

Mr. Johnston had served in several administrative roles at Willlamette University, in Salem, including as its interim president in 1997 and 1998. He also had been a state legislator in Oregon and was head of a division of its Department of Human Services.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of Bryan’s death,” Douglas M. Astolfi, Saint Martin’s current president, said in the university’s statement. “More than a loss for the university community, this is a tragedy for Bryan’s family. Our prayers are with his wife and four children.” —Charles Huckabee