List of presidents of Brown University
From 1765 to the 1920s, the president was required by the University Charter to be of the Baptist denomination.
The following is a list of presidents of Brown University:
| No. | Image | President | Class | Term start | Term end | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presidents of the College of Rhode Island (1764–1804) | ||||||
| 1 | James Manning (1738–1791) |
– |
1765 | July 29, 1791 |
||
| 2 | Jonathan Maxcy (1768–1820) |
1787 | 1792 | 1802 | ||
| Presidents of Brown University (1804–present) | ||||||
| 3 | Asa Messer (1769–1836) |
1790 | 1802 | 1826 | ||
| 4 | Francis Wayland (1796–1865) |
– |
1827 | 1855 | ||
| 5 | Barnas Sears (1802–1880) |
1825 | 1855 | 1867 | ||
| 6 | Alexis Caswell (1799–1877) |
1822 | 1868 | 1872 | ||
| 7 | Ezekiel Robinson (1815–1894) |
1838 | 1872 | 1889 | ||
| 8 | Elisha Andrews (1844–1917) |
1870 | 1889 | 1898 | ||
| 9 | William Faunce (1859–1930) |
1880 | 1899 | 1929 | ||
| 10 | Clarence Barbour (1867–1937) |
1888 | 1929 | January 16, 1937 |
||
| 11 | Henry Wriston (1889–1978) |
– |
1937 | 1955 | ||
| 12 | Barnaby Keeney (1914–1980) |
– |
1955 | 1966 | ||
| 13 | Ray Heffner (1925–2012) |
– |
1966 | 1969 | ||
| 14 | Donald Hornig (1920–2013) |
– |
1970 | 1976 | ||
| 15 | Howard Swearer (1932–1991) |
– |
1977 | 1988 | ||
| 16 | Vartan Gregorian (1934–2021) |
– |
1989 | 1997 | ||
| interim | James R. Pomerantz | –
|
October 1, 1997 | January 3, 1998 | ||
| 17 | Gordon Gee (1944–) |
– |
January 6, 1998 | February 7, 2000 | ||
| interim | Sheila E. Blumstein (1944–) |
–
|
February 9, 2000 | June 30, 2001 | ||
| 18 | Ruth Simmons (1945–) |
– |
July 1, 2001 |
June 30, 2012 |
||
| 19 | Christina Paxson (1960–) |
– |
July 1, 2012 |
present |
||
Table notes: