Skip to main content

Former Presidents of the University of Missouri

The University of Missouri is indebted to the innovative and dedicated presidents and chancellors who developed the institution from the ground up in the form of buildings, academic areas of study, faculty, student opportunity, research and service.

For 122 years, a president was the chief administrative and academic officer of the University of Missouri located in Columbia. In 1963 the University of Missouri expanded into a four-campus system with locations in Kansas City (UMKC), Rolla (Missouri S&T), Saint Louis (UMSL), and the original Columbia (UMC) campus.

With this change came a restructuring in administration. The University of Missouri System is headed by a president and each campus is headed by a chancellor.   Below is a list of the past presidents of the University of Missouri (the list does not include interim presidents):

 

John Hiram Lathrop
John Hiram Lathrop
(1841-1849)

 James Shannon
James Shannon
(1850-1856)

William Wilson Hudson
William Wilson Hudson
(1856-1859)             

Benjamin Blake Minor
Benjamin Blake Minor
(1860-1862)

               

John Hiram Lathrop
John Hiram Lathrop
(1865-1866)

          

Daniel Read
Daniel Read
(1866-1876)

                   

Samuel Spahr Laws
Samuel Spahr Laws
(1876-1889)

Richard Henry Jesse
Richard Henry Jesse
(1891-1908)

A. Ross Hill
A. Ross Hill
(1908-1921)

John Carleton Jones
John Carleton Jones
(1922-1923)

Stratton Brooks
Stratton Brooks
(1923-1930)

Walter Williams
Walter Williams
(1931-1935)

Frederick Middlebush
Frederick Middlebush
(1935-1954)

Elmer Ellis
Elmer Ellis
(1955-1966)

John C. Weaver
John C. Weaver
(1966-1970)

C. Brice Ratchford
C. Brice Ratchford
(1971-1976)

James Olson
James Olson
(1977-1984)

C. Peter Magrath
C. Peter Magrath
(1985-1991)

George A. Russell
George A. Russell
(1991-1996)

Manuel T. Pacheco
Manuel T. Pacheco
(1997-2002)

Elson S. Floyd
Elson S. Floyd
(2003-2007)

Gary D. Forsee
Gary D. Forsee
(2008-2011)


Timothy M. Wolfe
(2012-2015)
   

Reviewed 2019-08-05