List of Ohio Wesleyan University presidents
Encyclopedia
The president
of Ohio Wesleyan University
is the institution's chief administrator and ex officio chair of the Board of Trustees. He is appointed by and is responsible to the other members of the Board, who delegate to him the day-to-day running of the university. Since Wesleyan's beginning, just 15 men have held the title of Ohio Wesleyan University president, while a few have served as interim president. Those who have held the office include lawyers, literary scholars, politicians, businessmen and clergymen.
Mark Huddleston
was named university president following a meeting of the Ohio Wesleyan Board of Trustees on Saturday morning, June 12 in 2004. He succeeded Thomas Courtice, who held office for 10 years before retiring that year. Huddleston's academic specialty is public administration
, a field in which he has published widely, focusing on the senior federal
career service and a variety of international issues
.
marked the beginning of independent appointment to the position of presidency of the college.
, one of the two founders of the university in 1842. His father, a druggist, influenced Edward toward the study of medicine, which he pursued at the University of Pennsylvania
. He retained the post of the presidency until 1860. Thomson was a vocal clergyman and a defender of the rights of women to co-education, on equal terms with men, and engaged in antislavery activity at that time, including many acts of civil disobedience.
On August 5, 1846, Thomson delivered his inaugural address
. He maintained that the college was a product of the liberality
of the people of Delaware
and that it was fortunate that Ohio Wesleyan was founded in a community divided in religious and political opinions because the friction of a mixed society prevented dogmatism and developed energy and pointed out that the spirit of the college is the spirit of liberty.
Accounts of Thomson focus on his scholarly work and his firm anti-slavery social stance. By the end of the presidency, Thomson had written three books on 18th century Europe
and Asia
. He helped to give the campus a certain abolitionist tinge of reform
, as was the case with Oberlin College
, along these lines by stating that the school would not obey the fugitive slave law and would be willing to suffer the extreme penalty in case of need.
expansion as it did on fundraising. Less teacher than some of the others, Merrick's zeal significantly increased the school's coffers, but disappointment followed at the failure of his attempt to abolish fraternities in 1870-1872 and anxiety during the years of the construction of Merrick Hall.
Charles Payne's presidency lasted between 1876 and 1888. He was a 1856 Wesleyan University
alumnus graduate and during his presidency, enrollment in the college increased three times and music education
experienced a decided renaissance
. While no major buildings were built during his administration, Paynes' fame was strongly related to his reputation
of being a disciplinarian.
The Payne age of transition, was followed by Bashford's era of transformation during 1889-1904. The need of new departments and the value of specialized instruction were recognized. Bashford's aim was to improve the plant
and offerings of the college; to make the school's curriculum
and buildings on par with its new academic position. The building history during that period included Monnett extensions, University Hall and Slocum Library. Athletics
and physical education
facilities were established and a start was made for a new gym
nasium. Development during the Bashford years meant establishments of departments for natural science
(physics
, zoology
, geology
), and new departments of speech
, history
, French
, English
and economics
. The new ideal of specialization
brought an emphasis on professional
preparation on the Doctor of Philosophy
degree and on travel and study in Europe
. Three professional
schools were established during his presidency (of Law
, of Medicine
and of Theology
) and the Doric Front was demolished.
During the 1920s, under Herbert George Welch's and John W. Hoffman's presidencies chapel
service was dropped, sororities came in. Edgar Hall came into use and Selby Stadium was built; Austin Manor and Perkins Observatory
was constructed and Stuyvesant Hall was planned.
" image, leading to a rocky relationship between him and the student body. In 1979-1982, the campus newspaper The Transcript
severely criticized Wenzlau's presidency blaming it for "severely affecting the reputation of the college". The exchange between the president and The Transcript
led to a Washington Post report on the school that eventually led to the end of Wenzlau's presidency.
and NBC
networks.
, was elected after a Board meeting on June 12, 2004. He succeeded Thomas Courtice, who held office for 10 years. Huddleston's specializes in public administration
, a field in which he has published widely, focusing on the senior federal
career service and a variety of international issues
. Before coming to Ohio Wesleyan, Huddleston served in the faculty of the University of Delaware
for 24 years, ultimately as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Huddleston has been an active consultant for both the U.S. government and international organizations in the past. He worked previously in the Balkans
, southern Africa
, and central and southeast Asia
. He gained international development
experience in Bosnia
as an advisor on rebuilding financial and administrative infrastructures following the Dayton Accords. He has authored the following books: The Public Administration Workbook, Profiles in Excellence: Conversations with the Best of America's Career Executive Service, The Higher Civil Service in the United States, and The Government's Managers.
Under Huddleston, Wesleyan continued to undertake construction projects. The Memorial Union Building was renovated in 2001 to accommodate the Economics Department, the Academic Resource Center, the Information Systems department, and the Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship. The Conrades-Wetherell Science Center opened in 2004 to provide 52000 square feet (4,831 m²) of additional space for the science departments.
An athletic fundraising campaign began in 2005. The campaign is named after Branch Rickey, class of 1904, who broke the racial barrier in professional baseball. It is directed at renovating the facilities used by the 22 varsity teams by adding a new turf facility, new field house and a pool, and a gateway connecting all sports facilities on campus.
In April 2007, Huddleston accepted a position as president of the University of New Hampshire
and left Wesleyan on June 30, 2007, giving him the second shortest presidential reign in Wesleyan's history, behind David Lockmiller, 1959–1961. On 29 May 2007, the appointment of current university provost Dr. David O. Robbins as interim president was unanimously endorsed by OWU's Board of Trustees. Dr. Robbins' term as Interim President began on 1 July 2007.
Acting and Interim Presidents have included Lorenzo D. McCabe (1873–76), William F. Whitlock (1888–89), Edward L. Rice (1938–39), Clarence E. Ficken (1947–48, 1953–55), Frank J. Prout (1955–57), George W. Burns (1958–59), Robert Lisensky (1968–69), William C. Louthan (1993–94) and David Robbins (2007–2008).
had three presidents before merging with Ohio Wesleyan University.
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
is the institution's chief administrator and ex officio chair of the Board of Trustees. He is appointed by and is responsible to the other members of the Board, who delegate to him the day-to-day running of the university. Since Wesleyan's beginning, just 15 men have held the title of Ohio Wesleyan University president, while a few have served as interim president. Those who have held the office include lawyers, literary scholars, politicians, businessmen and clergymen.
Mark Huddleston
Mark Huddleston
Mark W. Huddleston is the 19th President of the University of New Hampshire , having been elected to that position on April 18, 2007.-Biography:...
was named university president following a meeting of the Ohio Wesleyan Board of Trustees on Saturday morning, June 12 in 2004. He succeeded Thomas Courtice, who held office for 10 years before retiring that year. Huddleston's academic specialty is public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
, a field in which he has published widely, focusing on the senior federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
career service and a variety of international issues
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
.
History
The service of Ohio Wesleyan's presidents to the college spans nearly 170 years now. About a quarter of the them, in the beginning of the college's history, were appointed by the Methodist church. Early in the beginning of the 20th century that link was severed and the appointment of Arthur FlemmingArthur Flemming
Arthur Sherwood Flemming was United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare between 1958 to 1961 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Flemming was an important force in the shaping of Social Security policy for more than four decades. He also served as president of the University of...
marked the beginning of independent appointment to the position of presidency of the college.
The Thomson Era
The first president Edward ThomsonEdward Thomson
Edward Thomson was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church , elected in 1864.-Early life:Thomson was born in Portsea, part of Portsmouth, England...
, one of the two founders of the university in 1842. His father, a druggist, influenced Edward toward the study of medicine, which he pursued at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. He retained the post of the presidency until 1860. Thomson was a vocal clergyman and a defender of the rights of women to co-education, on equal terms with men, and engaged in antislavery activity at that time, including many acts of civil disobedience.
On August 5, 1846, Thomson delivered his inaugural address
Inauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....
. He maintained that the college was a product of the liberality
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
of the people of Delaware
Delaware, Ohio
The City of Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County in the United States state of Ohio. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area...
and that it was fortunate that Ohio Wesleyan was founded in a community divided in religious and political opinions because the friction of a mixed society prevented dogmatism and developed energy and pointed out that the spirit of the college is the spirit of liberty.
Accounts of Thomson focus on his scholarly work and his firm anti-slavery social stance. By the end of the presidency, Thomson had written three books on 18th century Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. He helped to give the campus a certain abolitionist tinge of reform
Reform
Reform means to put or change into an improved form or condition; to amend or improve by change of color or removal of faults or abuses, beneficial change, more specifically, reversion to a pure original state, to repair, restore or to correct....
, as was the case with Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, along these lines by stating that the school would not obey the fugitive slave law and would be willing to suffer the extreme penalty in case of need.
Merrick through Welch
Under Frederick Merrick's presidency (1860–1873), the school focused as much on curriculumCurriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
expansion as it did on fundraising. Less teacher than some of the others, Merrick's zeal significantly increased the school's coffers, but disappointment followed at the failure of his attempt to abolish fraternities in 1870-1872 and anxiety during the years of the construction of Merrick Hall.
Charles Payne's presidency lasted between 1876 and 1888. He was a 1856 Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
alumnus graduate and during his presidency, enrollment in the college increased three times and music education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
experienced a decided renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
. While no major buildings were built during his administration, Paynes' fame was strongly related to his reputation
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
of being a disciplinarian.
The Payne age of transition, was followed by Bashford's era of transformation during 1889-1904. The need of new departments and the value of specialized instruction were recognized. Bashford's aim was to improve the plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
and offerings of the college; to make the school's curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
and buildings on par with its new academic position. The building history during that period included Monnett extensions, University Hall and Slocum Library. Athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
and physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
facilities were established and a start was made for a new gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium. Development during the Bashford years meant establishments of departments for natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
(physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
), and new departments of speech
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. The new ideal of specialization
Academic specialization
In academia, specialization may be a course of study or major at an academic institution or may refer to the field that a specialist practices in....
brought an emphasis on professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
preparation on the Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree and on travel and study in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Three professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
schools were established during his presidency (of Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, of Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and of Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
) and the Doric Front was demolished.
During the 1920s, under Herbert George Welch's and John W. Hoffman's presidencies chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
service was dropped, sororities came in. Edgar Hall came into use and Selby Stadium was built; Austin Manor and Perkins Observatory
Perkins Observatory
Perkins Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Delaware, Ohio. It is owned and operated by Ohio Wesleyan University.-Early history:The observatory is named for Hiram Perkins, a professor of mathematics and astronomy at the Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio from 1857 to 1907...
was constructed and Stuyvesant Hall was planned.
Wenzlau's presidency controversies
The presidency of Thomas Wenzlau span three decades between 1969-1984. The first challenge for Wenzlau was campus unrest: Wesleyan students took over the ROTC building, demanded its shut-down and eventually eliminated its presence in 1970. Students demanded participation in departmental meetings and faculty committees. The period saw a furthering of the democratic process in the governance of Wesleyan. His presidency witnessed decline in students' test scores, an unusually high attrition rate, lack of adequate research to identify potential major donors and a growing "party schoolParty school
A party school is a college or university that has a reputation for heavy alcohol and drug use or a general culture of licentiousness. The best-known list of alleged party schools is published annually by The Princeton Review. The magazine Playboy also releases a list of party schools on an...
" image, leading to a rocky relationship between him and the student body. In 1979-1982, the campus newspaper The Transcript
The Transcript
The Transcript, published at Ohio Wesleyan University, is the oldest independent college student newspaper in the United States. The newspaper dates back to 1867 when it first appeared under the name Western Collegian. Joseph B. Battelle was the first editor of Western Collegian, at that time a...
severely criticized Wenzlau's presidency blaming it for "severely affecting the reputation of the college". The exchange between the president and The Transcript
The Transcript
The Transcript, published at Ohio Wesleyan University, is the oldest independent college student newspaper in the United States. The newspaper dates back to 1867 when it first appeared under the name Western Collegian. Joseph B. Battelle was the first editor of Western Collegian, at that time a...
led to a Washington Post report on the school that eventually led to the end of Wenzlau's presidency.
Wesleyan's reputation on the rebound with Warren
The leadership of David Warren increased admission standards for students, engaged students in a "live-in" presidency, expanded media exposure and established a National Colloquium, whose objective was to focus on the liberal arts. Warren engaged in forty-one interviews on the ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
networks.
Mark Huddleston to the president
Mark HuddlestonMark Huddleston
Mark W. Huddleston is the 19th President of the University of New Hampshire , having been elected to that position on April 18, 2007.-Biography:...
, was elected after a Board meeting on June 12, 2004. He succeeded Thomas Courtice, who held office for 10 years. Huddleston's specializes in public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
, a field in which he has published widely, focusing on the senior federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
career service and a variety of international issues
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
. Before coming to Ohio Wesleyan, Huddleston served in the faculty of the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
for 24 years, ultimately as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Huddleston has been an active consultant for both the U.S. government and international organizations in the past. He worked previously in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and central and southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. He gained international development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
experience in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
as an advisor on rebuilding financial and administrative infrastructures following the Dayton Accords. He has authored the following books: The Public Administration Workbook, Profiles in Excellence: Conversations with the Best of America's Career Executive Service, The Higher Civil Service in the United States, and The Government's Managers.
Under Huddleston, Wesleyan continued to undertake construction projects. The Memorial Union Building was renovated in 2001 to accommodate the Economics Department, the Academic Resource Center, the Information Systems department, and the Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship. The Conrades-Wetherell Science Center opened in 2004 to provide 52000 square feet (4,831 m²) of additional space for the science departments.
An athletic fundraising campaign began in 2005. The campaign is named after Branch Rickey, class of 1904, who broke the racial barrier in professional baseball. It is directed at renovating the facilities used by the 22 varsity teams by adding a new turf facility, new field house and a pool, and a gateway connecting all sports facilities on campus.
In April 2007, Huddleston accepted a position as president of the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
and left Wesleyan on June 30, 2007, giving him the second shortest presidential reign in Wesleyan's history, behind David Lockmiller, 1959–1961. On 29 May 2007, the appointment of current university provost Dr. David O. Robbins as interim president was unanimously endorsed by OWU's Board of Trustees. Dr. Robbins' term as Interim President began on 1 July 2007.
List of presidents
| # | | President | | Wesleyan Class | | Tenure | | Life | | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16th | Rock Jones | -- | 2008–present | -- | |
| 15th. | Mark Huddleston Mark Huddleston Mark W. Huddleston is the 19th President of the University of New Hampshire , having been elected to that position on April 18, 2007.-Biography:... |
-- | 2004–2007 | -- | Major $250 Million Campaign |
| 14th | Thomas Courtice Thomas Courtice Thomas Barr Courtice was the president of Ohio Wesleyan University between 1994 and 2004. He received degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, Indiana University, and the University of Minnesota... |
-- | 1994–2004 | -- | Science Center Built; Establishment of Five Colleges of Ohio Five Colleges of Ohio The Five Colleges of Ohio is an academic consortium of five selective private liberal arts colleges in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a nonprofit educational consortium established in 1995 to promote the broad educational and cultural objectives of its member institutions... , Fine Arts Center |
| 13th | David Warren (professor) | -- | 1984–1993 | -- | Hamilton-Williams Campus Center Built |
| 12th | Thomas E. Wenzlau | 1950 | 1969–1984 | -- | Branch Rickey Arena Built; Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students adopted Built |
| 11th | Elden T. Smith | 1932 | 1962–1968 | 1910–2006 | Residential Buildings significantly expanded - Smith, Welch and Lucy Hayes Dormitories built |
| 10th | David Lockmiller | -- | 1959–1961 | 1907–2005 | -- |
| 9th | Arthur Sherwood Flemming Arthur Flemming Arthur Sherwood Flemming was United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare between 1958 to 1961 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Flemming was an important force in the shaping of Social Security policy for more than four decades. He also served as president of the University of... |
1927 | 1948–1953, 1957–1958 | 1905–1996 | -- |
| 8th | Herbert John Burgstahler | -- | 1939–1947 | -- | Last of long line of Methodist-appointed Presidents |
| 7th | Edmund D. Soper | -- | 1928–1938 | -- | Stuyvesant Hall built |
| 6th | John W. Hoffman | -- | 1916–1928 | -- | -- |
| 5th | Herbert George Welch Herbert Welch Herbert George Welch was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church. He was elected to the Episcopacy in 1916... |
-- | 1905–1916 | -- | -- |
| 4th | James Whitford Bashford James Whitford Bashford James Whitford Bashford was a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the USA and the first bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in China.- Life :... |
-- | 1889–1904 | -- | -- |
| 3rd | Charles H. Payne | -- | 1876–1888 | -- | Wesleyan Female College merged with Ohio Wesleyan University |
| 2nd | Frederick Merrick | -- | 1860–1873 | -- | -- |
| 1st | Edward Thomson Edward Thomson Edward Thomson was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church , elected in 1864.-Early life:Thomson was born in Portsea, part of Portsmouth, England... |
-- | 1842–1860 | -- | -- |
Acting and Interim Presidents have included Lorenzo D. McCabe (1873–76), William F. Whitlock (1888–89), Edward L. Rice (1938–39), Clarence E. Ficken (1947–48, 1953–55), Frank J. Prout (1955–57), George W. Burns (1958–59), Robert Lisensky (1968–69), William C. Louthan (1993–94) and David Robbins (2007–2008).
Female College presidents
Ohio Wesleyan Female CollegeOhio Wesleyan Female College
Ohio Wesleyan Female College was founded in 1853 in Delaware, Ohio. It is also known under the name Wesleyan Female College in Cincinnati...
had three presidents before merging with Ohio Wesleyan University.
- William Richardson, 1873–1877
- Nathaniel Clark BurtNathaniel Clark BurtNathaniel Clark Burt was an American Presbyterian clergyman.He was born in Fairton, New Jersey, son of Daniel L. and Sarah Clark Burt. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1846, then took a three years' course in the theological seminary...
, 1868–1870 - Oran Faville, 1853–1855