Past Presidents

George Magoun, 1865-1884

1821 (Bath, ME) - 1896 (Grinnell, IA)

Education

• Bath Academy
• Bowdoin College, 1841
• Andover Seminary, 1847
• studied at Yale seminary

Career

• Principal of public school in Galena, IL and of academy in Platteville, WI, 1844-1846
• Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church, Galena, IL, 1848
• Pastor of Congregational churches, Davenport and Lyons, IA, 5 years each
• Studied and practiced law in Burlington, 1851-1855
• President of Iowa College, 1865-1884
• Professor of Mental and Moral Science, Iowa College, 1884-1890

Samuel Jay Buck, 1884-1887

1835 (Russia, NY) - 1918 (Grinnell, IA)

Education

• Oberlin College, 1858
• Oberlin College Theological Seminary, 1862

Career

• Principal of academy, Orwell, OH, 1862-1864
• Principal, Preparatory & English Department, Iowa College, 1864-1869
• Professor of Mathematics & Natural Philosophy, Iowa College, 1869-1905
• Acting President, Iowa College, 1884-87
• Also county superintendent of schools, county surveyor, and financial agent for the college

George A. Gates, 1887-1900

1851 (Topsham, VT) - 1912 (Nashville, TN)

Education

• St. Johnsbury Academy
• Dartmouth College, 1873
• Andover Seminary, 1880
• Study and travel abroad, 1878-1879

Career

• Principal of academy, Morrisville, VT, 1873-1875
• Pastor, Congregational Church in Upper Montclair, NJ, 1880-1887
• President, Iowa College, 1887-1900
• Pastor, Cheyenne, WY, 1900-1901
• President, Pomona College, 1902-1909

Dan Freeman Bradley, 1902-1905

1857 (Bangkok, Siam) - 1939 (Cleveland, OH)

Education

• Oberlin College
• Oberlin Theological Seminary, 1889

Career

• Pastor, Congregational Church in Grand Rapids, MI
• Acting President, Yankton College, SD, 1889-1892
• President, Iowa College, 1902-1905
• Pastor, Congregational Church, Cleveland, OH, 1905-1937

John Hanson Thomas Main, 1906-1931

1859 (Toledo, OH) - 1931 (Grinnell, IA)

Education

• Moore's Hill College, A.B., 1880, A.M., 1883
• Johns Hopkins University, Ph.D, 1892
• Studied at Oberlin College, Iowa State University, Harvard University, and Grinnell College

Career

• Professor of Greek at Moore's Hill College, Women's College of Baltimore, and Johns Hopkins University
• Professor of Greek, Grinnell College, 1892-1916
• Acting President Grinnell College, 1900-1902
• Dean of the Faculty, Grinnell College, 1902-1906
• President Grinnell College, 1906-1931
• Trustee, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
• Member of American Relief Commission to the Near East, ca. 1918
• Mason

John Scholte Nollen, 1931-1940

1866 (Pella, IA) - 1952 (Des Moines, IA)

Education

• Central College, Pella, IA, 1883-1885
• State University of Iowa, B.A., 1888
• University of Zurich, 1890-1891
• University of Paris & College de France, 1892-1893
• University of Leipzig, Ph.D., 1893
• University of Berlin, 1900-01
• State University of Iowa, LL.D, 1910

Career

• Instructor Science & Math, Central College Academy, 1885-1887
• Tutor, Cham, Switzerland, 1888-1890
• Professor of Modern Languages, Grinnell College, 1893-1903
• Professor of German, Indiana University, 1903-1907
• President, Lake Forest College, 1907-1918
• General Secretary, YMCA war work in Italy, 1918-1920
• Commissioner, American Red Cross Commission to Europe, 1920
• Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Modern Languages, Grinnell College, 1920-1931
• Director, Grinnell State Bank, 1926-??
• President of Grinnell College, 1931-1940
• President Emeritus, 1940-1952
• Kiwanis

Samuel Nowell Stevens, 1940-1954

1900 (Eastport, MD) - 1966

Education

• Wesleyan University (CT), 1921
• Garrett Institute, B.D., 1923
• Northwestern University, Ph.D, 1925
• Carleton College, LL.D., 1948

Career

• Instructor in Psychology, Northwestern University, 1924-1934
• Dean of the University College, Northwestern University, 1934-1940
• U.S. Army during World War I
• President, Grinnell College, 1940-1954
• Stevens, Thurow & Associates (personnel management consultants), Chicago, IL, 1954-?

Rupert A. Hawk, 1954-1955 (Acting President)

1903 (Cottageville, WV) - 1959 (Grinnell, IA)

Education

• Grinnell College, BA, 1924
• Drake University Law School, 1928-1929
• State University of Iowa, Iowa City (Commerce and law), MA, 1932
• John Marshall Law School, D. Jurisprudence, 1957
• Columbia University (Education), 1945

Career

• Teacher, Grinnell public schools, 1923-1947
• Superintendent of Schools, Grinnell, 1937-1947
• Instructor of Speech, Grinnell College, 1929-1932
• Assistant Professor of Education, Grinnell College, 1942-1946
• Associate Professor of Economics & Business, Grinnell College, 1947-1956
• Treasurer, Grinnell College, 1948-1956
• Acting President, Grinnell College, 1954-1955
• Lannom Manufacturing Co, Grinnell, General Counsel, 1929-1952
• Mason, Kiwanis, Elks, American Bar Association

Howard Rothmann Bowen, 1955-1964

1908 (Spokane, WA) - 1989 (Claremont, CA)

Education

• Washington State University, BA, MA
• State University of Iowa, Ph.D, 1935 (Economics)
• Cambridge University and London School of Economics, 1937-1938

Career

• Instructor, Assistant Professor, and Associate Professor of Economics, State University of Iowa, 1935-1942
• US Department of Commerce (chief of business structure studies), 1942-1944
• Chief Economist, Joint Congressional Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation, 1944-1945
• Economist, Irving Trust Company, New York, 1945-1947
• Dean, College of Commerce, and Professor of Economics, University of Illinois, 1947-1952
• Professor of Economics, Williams College, 1952-1955
• President, Grinnell College, 1955-1964
• President, University of Iowa, 1964-1969
• Professor of Economics, Claremont Graduate School, 1969-1970
• President and Chancellor, Claremont University Center, 1970-1974
• R. Stanton Avery Professor of Economics & Education, Claremont Graduate School, 1974-1984
• Also consultant for federal and state commissions and agencies; author of 14 books and many articles; recipient of numerous awards and honors.

James Stauss, 1964-1965 (Acting President)

1914 (Otterville, IA) - 1975 (Colorado Springs, CO)

Education

• Grinnell College, BA, 1936
• Iowa State University, MS (Economics), 1937
• University of Wisconsin, Ph.D, 1945

Career

• Faculty member at Texas A&M, University of Wisconsin, and University of Tennessee
• Instructor of Economics, Grinnell College, 1946-1969
• Dean, Grinnell College, 1960-1969
• Acting President, Grinnell College, 1964-1965
• Dean, Colorado College, 1969-75

Glenn Leggett, 1965-1974

1918 (Ashtabula, OH) - 2003 (Grinnell, IA)

Education

• Middlebury College BA 1940
• Ohio State University Ph.D 1949

Career

• U.S. Navy, World War II
• Taught at Ohio State University and M.I.T.
• Taught at University of Washington 1952-?
• Special Assistant to President, University of Washington
• Vice Provost, University of Washington 1960-63
• Provost, University of Washington 1963-65
• President, Grinnell College 1965-74
• Vice President for Corporate Communications, Deere & Co., Moline 1975-?
• Author of numerous books

A. Richard Turner, 1975-1979

1932 (New Bedford, MA) - 2011 (Cape May, N.J.)

Education

• Princeton University, BA, 1955; MA, Ph.D, 1959
• University of Rome, 1955-1956

Career

• Instructor of Art, University of Michigan, 1959-1960
• Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Art, Princeton University, 1960-1968
• Professor of Art, Middlebury College, 1968-1979
• President, Grinnell College, 1975-1979
• Director, New York University Institute of Fine Arts, 1979-
• Author of books and numerous articles on art history.

George Drake, 1979-1991

1934 (Springfield, MO) - 2022 (Grinnell, IA)

Education

• Grinnell College, 1956
• University of Paris, 1956-1957
• Oxford University (Rhodes scholar), 1959-1962
• University of Chicago, B.D., 1962; M.A., 1963; PhD, 1965
• Colorado College, 1980; Ripon College, 1982, LL.D.
• Illinois College, 1985; Ursinus College, 1988, L.H.D.

Career

• Instructor of History, Grinnell College, 1960-1961
• Professor of History, Colorado College, 1964-1979
• Dean, Colorado College, 1969-1973
• President, Grinnell College, 1979-1991
• Peace Corps, South Africa, 1991-1993
• Professor of History, Grinnell College, 1979-2004
• President Emeritus, 2004-
• Professor Emeritus of History, 2004-

Waldo S. Walker, 1988 (Acting President)

1931 (Fayette, IA) - 2020 (Grinnell, IA)

Education

• Upper Iowa University, B.S, 1953
• University of Iowa, M.S. 1957; Ph.D., 1959 (Botany)

Career

• Instructor, University of Iowa, 1956-1958
• Assistant Professor of Biology, Associate Professor, and Professor of Biology, Grinnell College, 1959-1995
• Associate Dean of the College, Grinnell College, 1963-1965
• Project Director, National Science Foundation COSIP Grant, 1968-1971
• Dean of Administration, Grinnell College, 1969-1973
• Provost and Dean of the College, Grinnell College, 1973-1981
• Executive Vice President of the College, Grinnell College, 1980-1991
• Treasurer of the College, Grinnell College, 1988-1990
• Acting President, Grinnell College, July 1988-January1989
• Vice President for College Services & Director of Facilities Management, 1991-1995
• Professor Emeritus of Biology 2001-

Pamela Ferguson, 1991-1997

1943 (Berwyn, IL) - 2004 (Des Moines, IA)

Education

• Wellesley College, BA, 1965
• University of Chicago, M.S. 1966; Ph.D., 1969 (Mathematics)

Career

• Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Northwestern University, 1969-1970
• Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Mathematics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, 1970-1991
• Associate Provost & Dean of the Graduate School, University of Miami, Coral Gables, 1987-1991
• President, Grinnell College, 1991-97
• Professor of Mathematics, Grinnell College, 1997-2004

Charles Duke, January 1998-August 1998 (Acting President)

1940 (Canton, NC) -

Russell K. Osgood, 1998-2010

1947 (Fairborn, OH) -

Education

• Yale College, BA, 1969
• Yale Law School, J.D., 1974

Career

• Surface Line Officer, United States Navy, 1969-1971
• Associate Attorney, Hill & Barlow, 1974-1978
• Associate Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law, 1978-1980
• Associate Professor, Professor of Law, Cornell University, 1980-1988
• Dean and Professor of Law, Cornell University, 1988-1998
• President of Grinnell College, 1998-2010
• Professor of History and Political Science, 2010-
• Author of numerous legal books and articles in law journals.

Raynard S. Kington, 2010-2020

Education

• University of Michigan, BS, MD
• University of Pennsylvania, MBA, Ph.D.

Career

• Residency in Internal Medicine at Michael Reese Medical Center
• Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania
• Board certified in internal medicine, public health and preventive medicine, and geriatric medicine
• Senior Scientist in the Health Program at the RAND Corporation
• Director of the Division of Health Examination Statistics at the National Center for Health Statistics
• Acting Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health
• Principal Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Health, 2003-2008
• Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health, 2008-2009
• President of Grinnell College, 2010-2020
• Head of School of Phillips Academy, 2020-

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