Presidents of the University of Michigan
HENRY PHILIP TAPPAN - 1852-1863
(1st President)
Former professor of philosophy at New York University and author of a noted critique of
higher education in the United State, Tappan was a forceful advocate of the “German
model” of university education. He moved the university from a strictly classical
curriculum to a broader scientific curriculum. He supported development of a library,
laboratories, an art gallery and astronomical observatory. Difficulties with the regents on
matters both of policy and personality, led to Tappan’s dismissal in June 1863.
ERASTUS OTIS HAVEN - 1863-1869
(2nd President)
A professor of Latin, history and literature at the university from 1852-56, Haven was
called to serve as president in the wake of the controversies surrounding Tappan’s
dismissal. He was able to win over elements from both camps and succeeded in
consolidating some of the reforms Tappan had instituted and secured an annual
appropriation from the Legislature.
JAMES BURRILL ANGELL - 1871-1909
(3rd President)
Angell’s 38-year tenure was the longest of any U-M president. A charismatic, persuasive
and paternal figure, he was known to generations of students as “Prexy Angell.” During
Angell's tenure, enrollment grew from 1,100 to more than 5,000. The student body was
too large for a successor to impress a personal stamp on the campus in the way Angell
had. Because of his expertise in international affairs, Angell was called upon for
occasional diplomatic service. He was minister to China from 1880-81, a member of a
commission to negotiate a new immigration treaty, and served on three U.S.-Canadian
commissions during the Cleveland administration.
HARRY BURNS HUTCHINS - 1909-1920
(4th President)
In August 1909 Harry Burns Hutchins, dean of the Law Department, was named interim
president for one-year to succeed President Angell. After several candidates, including
Woodrow Wilson, declined to accept the presidency, the Regents decided to make
Hutchins president for a three-year term. Following some stormy negotiations with
Regent Chase Osborn, Hutchins accepted a five-year appointment. At the end of his term
the Regents asked him to continue in office and Hutchins served until 1920.
MARION LEROY BURTON - 1920-1925
(5th President)
On July 1, 1920, Marion Leroy Burton, president of the University of Minnesota, became
Michigan’s fifth president. Tall, red-headed, with a commanding presence and a
persuasive voice, he could captivate students and legislators alike. His talent for
organization and vision of an expanding university exactly fit the needs and spirit of the
post-war age. His tenure was tragically short, however, as he died in February 1925
following a heart attack. He had doubled the university’s annual income and secured
more than $10 million in appropriations and $2 million in gifts for new buildings.
CLARENCE COOK LITTLE - 1925-1929
(6th President)
Thirty-six-year-old Clarence Cook Little, then president of the University of Maine, was
named president in September 1925. A cancer researcher with outspoken views on
educational reform, Little proposed establishing a “University College” in which all
students would be enrolled for their first two years. The faculty and deans were generally
skeptical of the plan, leading to strained relations with Little, who lacked Burton’s tact
and political skills. Little resigned in June 1929.
ALEXANDER GRANT RUTHVEN - 1929-1951
(7th President)
Just weeks before the stock market crash of 1929, Alexander Grant Ruthven was named
the university’s seventh president. He had received his Ph.D. in zoology from Michigan
in 1906 and immediately became an instructor in the department and curator, later
director, of the University Museum. Ruthven guided the university through the Great
Depression, World War II and the beginning of post-war expansion. He restructured the
university’s administration in a more corporate style and allowed for a greater role in
governance by deans and faculty. Ruthven retired as president in 1951.
HARLAN HATCHER - 1951-1967
(8th President)
A former dean and English professor at Ohio State University, Hatcher’s 17-year tenure
saw dramatic expansion in enrollment and the physical campus. Student population grew
from 23,000 to 41,000. Acquisition and development of the North Campus began, and the
Flint and Dearborn campuses were opened. Controversies over the firing of two faculty
members during the McCarthy era and the rise of student activism also marked Hatcher’s
years.
ROBBEN WRIGHT FLEMING - 1968-1979
(9th President)
Robben W. Fleming, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin and former professor of
labor relations specializing in arbitration and mediation, became U-M’s ninth president in
January 1968. That background served him well during the tumultuous years of 19681979. Though Ann Arbor was a center of student activism, Fleming’s patience,
negotiating skills and genuine sympathy for the concerns of students and faculty helped
Michigan weather the decade without the destructive confrontations that struck some
universities. Fleming later served as chairman of the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting.
HAROLD TAFLER SHAPIRO - 1980-1987
(10th President)
Harold Tafler Shapiro took office as U-M’s tenth president on Jan. 1, 1980. Canadian by
birth and educated at Princeton University, Shapiro joined the U-M Economics
Department in 1964 and co-directed the Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics,
famous for its economic forecasting models. “Smaller but better” became the watchword
of his tenure as the university experienced a series of budget crises and declining rates of
state support. Shapiro resigned in 1987 to become president of Princeton.
JAMES JOHNSON DUDERSTADT - 1988-1996
(11th President)
Interim president James J. Duderstadt was named the university’s 11th president. A
nuclear engineer by training, Duderstadt had served as dean of the College of
Engineering and vice president for academic affairs. Foreseeing a world in which
knowledge, globalization, and pluralism would be critical elements, Duderstadt initiated
the “Michigan Mandate” to bring more diversity to campus and moved to reshape
academic programs to prepare students for the global economy and information
revolution. He also oversaw a major program of new construction and rehabilitation of
the campus infrastructure.
LEE C. BOLLINGER - 1996-2001
(12th President)
Bollinger began his academic career in 1972 as an assistant professor in the Law School.
He became a recognized authority on the First Amendment and authored several books
on free speech issues. He served as dean of Law School from 1987-1994 before leaving
to become provost of Dartmouth University. Bollinger’s tenure brought a renewed
emphasis on the arts, highlighted by a residential program with the Royal Shakespeare
Company. The Life Sciences Initiative positioned the university to be a major player in a
developing field. Though popular with faculty and students, Bollinger also faced
controversies on issues involving affirmative action in admissions and the Athletic
Department. Bollinger resigned to become president of Columbia University.
MARY SUE COLEMAN, 2002(13th President)
On Aug. 1, Mary Sue Coleman became U-M’s first female president. Coleman had
served as president of the University of Iowa since 1995 where she was also professor of
biochemistry in Iowa’s College of Medicine and professor of biological sciences in the
College of Liberal Arts. Coleman earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from
Grinnell College and her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina.
She conducted postdoctoral work at North Carolina and at the University of Texas at
Austin.
Source: Bentley Historical Library