List of presidents of Pennsylvania State University

Old Main at Penn State, the administrative center of the university, contains the Office of the President.

The President of the Pennsylvania State University is the chief administrator of the Pennsylvania State University, serving as chief executive officer of the institution and an ex officio member of the 32-member Penn State Board of Trustees. Included in the list below are all Presidents of the Pennsylvania State University and its precursor institutions, from the first President Evan Pugh and through the current President, Neeli Bendapudi. There have been 19 Presidents of the Pennsylvania State University, not including three interregnum presidencies during university presidential transitions.

Pennsylvania's only land-grant university, the Pennsylvania State University was established in 1855[1] as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, before becoming the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania in 1863 under University President Evan Pugh, the Pennsylvania State College under James Calder in 1874 and, finally, the Pennsylvania State University under Milton S. Eisenhower in 1953. Today, the university is part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education and is one of the largest universities in the United States.

List of presidents

The following persons have served as president of Pennsylvania State University:[2]

No. President Term start Term end Ref.
President of Farmer's High School of Pennsylvania (1855–1862)
1 Evan Pugh [a]
(1828–1864)		 1859 April 29, 1864[b] [3][4]
Presidents of Agricultural College of Pennsylvania (1862–1874)
2 William Henry Allen
(1808–1882)		 1864 1866 [5][6]
3 John Fraser
(c. 1823–1878)		 1866 1868 [7][8]
4 Thomas Henry Burrowes
(1805–1871)
 1868 February 25, 1871[b] [9]
Presidents of Pennsylvania State College (1874–1953)
5 James Calder
(1826–1893)		 1871 1880 [10][11]
6 Joseph Shortlidge
(1832–1911)		 1880 1881 [12]
acting James Y. McKee
(1836–1891)		 1881 1882 [13][14][15]
7 George W. Atherton [c]
(1837–1906)
 1882 July 24, 1906[b]

[16][17][18]

acting James A. Beaver
(1837–1914)		 1906 1908 [19][20]
8 Edwin Erle Sparks
(1860–1924)
 1908 1920 [21][22]
9 John Martin Thomas
(1869–1952)		 1921 1925 [23][24]
10 Ralph D. Hetzel
(1882–1947)		 1927 October 3, 1947[b] [25][26]
acting James Milholland
(1887–1956)		 1947 1950 [27][28][29][30]
Presidents of Pennsylvania State University (1953–present)
11 Milton S. Eisenhower
(1899–1985)		 1950 1956 [31][32]
12 Eric A. Walker
(1910–1995)		 1956 1970 [33][34]
13 John W. Oswald
(1917–1995)		 1970 June 30, 1983 [35][36][37]
14 Bryce Jordan
(1924–2016)		 July 1, 1983 August 31, 1990 [38][39][40][41]
15 Joab Thomas
(1933–2014)		 September 1, 1990 August 31, 1995 [42][43]
16 Graham Spanier
(born 1948)		 September 1, 1995 November 9, 2011[d] [44][45][46]
interim Rodney Erickson
(born 1946) 		November 9, 2011 November 17, 2011 [46]
17 November 17, 2011 May 11, 2014 [47][48][49]
18 Eric J. Barron
(born 1951)		 May 12, 2014 May 8, 2022 [50][51][52][53]
19 Neeli Bendapudi
(born 1962/63)		 May 9, 2022 present [54][55]

Table notes:

  1. ^ In the shadow of the Civil War, Evan Pugh became the first president of the then Farmers' High School. On May 2, 1862 Pugh had the name Farmers' High School changed to the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania.
  2. ^ a b c d Died in office.
  3. ^ Often called the "second founder" of the university.
  4. ^ Forced to resign for mishandling child abuse sex scandal case.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Our History". Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Penn State Presidents". Penn State. Archived from the original on 2025-11-07.
  3. ^ "Evan Pugh papers, 1822-1864". Penn State University Libraries. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Evan Pugh". Penn State University Libraries. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  5. ^ "William Henry Allen (1808-1882)". Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections. Dickinson College. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  6. ^ "William Henry Allen". Penn State University Libraries. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  7. ^ "Col. John Fraser". Scots Around the World. ElectricScotland. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  8. ^ "John Fraser". Penn State University Libraries. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Thomas Henry Burrowes". Penn State University Libraries. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  10. ^ "BIO: James CALDER, Dauphin County, PA". Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County. USGenWeb Archives. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  11. ^ "James Calder". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  12. ^ "Joseph Shortlidge". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  13. ^ Orth, Samuel Peter (1910). A History of Cleveland, Ohio: Biographical. S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. p. 453. Retrieved 26 July 2015. james y. mckee 1836.
  14. ^ Annual Report of the Pennsylvania State College For the Year 1906-1907. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Harrisburg Publishing Co., State Printer. 1908. p. 216. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  15. ^ "James Y. McKee". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  16. ^ "George W. Atherton papers, 1837-1950". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  17. ^ "George W. Atherton". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  18. ^ Parsons, Eben Burt (1900). Phi Beta Kappa Hand-book and General Address Catalogue of the United Chapters. Walden & Crawley. p. 176. Retrieved 26 July 2015. george w. atherton yale.
  19. ^ "Governor James Addams Beaver". Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  20. ^ "James A. Beaver". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  21. ^ "Sparks, Edwin Earle, 1860-1924". The Online Books Page. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  22. ^ "Edwin Erle Sparks". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  23. ^ "John Martin Thomas". Rutgers University. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  24. ^ "John Martin Thomas". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  25. ^ "Ralph Dorn Hetzel papers, 1882-1947". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  26. ^ "Ralph D. Hetzel". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  27. ^ Cook, Robert Cecil (1956). Who's who in American Education. Who's Who in American Education. p. 173. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  28. ^ "Judge Milholland Is Laid to Rest". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 18 February 1956. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  29. ^ "James Milholland". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  30. ^ "Penn State Distinguished Alumni Recipients". Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  31. ^ "Milton S. Eisenhower papers, 1943-1985". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  32. ^ "Milton S. Eisenhower". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  33. ^ Martin, Douglas (19 February 1995). "Eric Walker, 84, Ex-President Of Pennsylvania State U., Dies". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  34. ^ "Eric A. Walker". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  35. ^ Parmley, Rob; DeMarcus, Nancy; Stanger, Frank. "John W. Oswald". University of Kentucky Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  36. ^ "John W. Oswald". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  37. ^ "The University Board of Trustees recently approved several new scholarships and two special funds for University departments". Daily Collegian. June 24, 1983.
  38. ^ "Dr. Henry Bryce Jordan". Hardin-Simmons University. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  39. ^ "Bryce Jordan". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  40. ^ Gutis, Phil (July 1, 1983). "New president brings experience, qualifications". Daily Collegian.
  41. ^ Harkness, Marc (August 31, 1990). "Bye bye Bryce". Daily Collegian.
  42. ^ "University mourns loss of President Emeritus Joab Thomas". Penn State News. Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  43. ^ "Joab Thomas". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  44. ^ "Details on ex-Penn State President Graham Spanier". The Associated Press. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  45. ^ "Graham Spanier". Penn State University Libraries. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  46. ^ a b Assad, Matt (November 10, 2011). "Penn State President Graham Spanier resigns in wake of scandal". The Morning Call.
  47. ^ "Rodney A. Erickson". Penn State University Libraries. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  48. ^ "Rodney Erickson will remain Penn State's president, no national search to follow, trustees say". The Patriot-News. November 17, 2011.
  49. ^ Carroll, Matt (May 11, 2014). "Colleagues praise Erickson as Penn State president retires to enjoy travel, farming". Centre Daily Times.
  50. ^ "Tags: BARRON, Eric, 1951-". EBSCO Host. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  51. ^ "Penn State Office of the President - Biography". Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  52. ^ Jensen, L. Reidar (May 14, 2014). "Forming a vision: Penn State's 18th president travels the state". Pennsylvania State University. During his visits to Penn State's campuses ahead of his first day on May 12, Barron gathered ideas from students, faculty, staff and community leaders...
  53. ^ Barron, Eric. "Digging Deeper: A Blog by Eric Barron". Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on 2025-09-13. Eric J. Barron was Penn State's 18th president, retiring on May 8, 2022.
  54. ^ "About Neeli Bendapudi". Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  55. ^ Xian, Min (June 3, 2022). "Take Note: New Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi on the "transformative power of higher education"". WPSU (FM). Dr. Neeli Bendapudi became the 19th president of Penn State on May 9th.
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