Former University of Iowa Presidents

The University of Iowa has had 19 presidents since its founding in 1859, the position growing with the University in complexity and responsibility, especially since World War Two. These presidents, backed by the State of Iowa’s rich tradition of strong support for education, helped build a public university that has consistently maintained a high position among its peers and attracted the attention and respect of educational institutions around the world.

The University's four most recent presidents left Iowa to become the presidents of some of this country’s most prestigious institutions: Dartmouth (James O. Freedman in 1987), The University of Michigan (Mary Sue Coleman in 2002), and Cornell University (Hunter Rawlings in 1995 and David Skorton in 2006).  

Full list of former presidents.