List of presidents of the University of Pennsylvania
The following is a list of the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania, which began operating in 1751 as a secondary school, the Academy of Philadelphia, and added an institution of higher learning in 1755, the College of Philadelphia.
| No. | Image | Provost | Years as provost | Name of institution | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaders of predecessor non-collegiate schools 1740–1754 | |||||
| – | The Reverend George Whitefield | 1740–1749 | Unnamed Charity School | ||
| – | Benjamin Franklin | 1749–1754 | Academy of Philadelphia | ||
The following persons had led the University from 1754 to 1930 as provost:
| No. | Image | Provost | Term start | Term end | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provost of the College of Philadelphia (1754–1779) | |||||
| 1 | The Reverend William Smith | 1754 | 1779 | ||
| Provosts of the University of Pennsylvania (1779–1930) | |||||
| 2 | The Reverend John Ewing | 1779 | 1802 | ||
| Position vacant 1802–1806 | |||||
| 3 | The Reverend John McDowell | 1807 | 1810 | ||
| 4 | The Reverend John Andrews | 1810 | 1813 | ||
| 5 | The Reverend Frederick Beasley | 1813 | 1828 | ||
| 6 | The Right Reverend William Heathcote DeLancey |
1828 | 1834 | ||
| 7 | The Reverend John Ludlow | 1834 | 1852 | ||
| 8 | The Reverend Henry Vethake | 1853 | 1859 | ||
| 9 | The Reverend Daniel Raynes Goodwin | September 1860 | June 1868 | ||
| 10 | Charles Janeway Stillé | September 30, 1868 | June 15, 1880 | ||
| 11 | William Pepper | February 22, 1881 | June 5, 1894 | ||
| acting | Charles Custis Harrison | June 6, 1894 | June 3, 1895 | ||
| 12 | June 3, 1895 | December 31, 1910 | |||
| 13 | Edgar Fahs Smith | January 1, 1910 | June 30, 1920 | ||
| Interim | Josiah Harmar Penniman | July 1, 1920 | January 15, 1923 | ||
| 14 | January 15, 1923 | June 30, 1930 | |||
The following persons had led the University since 1930 as president:
| No. | Image | President | Term start | Term end | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Sovereign Gates | July 1, 1930 | June 30, 1944 | ||
| 2 | George William McClelland | June 30, 1944 | September 19, 1948 | ||
| 3 | Harold Stassen | September 20, 1948 | January 20, 1953 | ||
| Acting | William Hagan DuBarry | January 21, 1953 | May 24, 1953 | ||
| 4 | Gaylord Probasco Harnwell | May 25, 1953 | August 31, 1970 | ||
| 5 | Martin Meyerson | September 1, 1970 | January 31, 1981 | ||
| 6 | Sheldon Hackney | February 1, 1981 | June 30, 1993 | ||
| Interim | Claire Fagin | July 1, 1993 | June 30, 1994 | ||
| 7 | Judith Rodin | July 1, 1994 | June 30, 2004 | ||
| 8 | Amy Gutmann | July 1, 2004 | February 8, 2022 | ||
| Interim | Wendell Pritchett | February 9, 2022 | June 30, 2022 | ||
| 9 | M. Elizabeth Magill | July 1, 2022 | December 9, 2023 | ||
| Interim | J. Larry Jameson | December 12, 2023 | March 13, 2025 | ||
| 10 | March 13, 2025 | Present |