List of presidents of Ohio State University

This list of presidents of Ohio State University includes all who have served as university presidents of Ohio State University since its founding in 1870. The Ohio State University is a public research university in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1870, as a land-grant university and ninth university in Ohio with the Morrill Act of 1862,^[1] the university was originally known as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. In 1878, in light of its expanded focus, the college permanently changed its name to Ohio State University.

President of Ohio State University
Incumbent Walter E. Carter Jr.
Appointer	Board of Trustees
Term length	No term limit
Inaugural holder	Edward Orton, Sr
Website	Office of the President

History

The first president of Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College is Edward Orton, Sr. who served from 1873 to 1881. During Orton's term, the university became Ohio State University, in 1878. Karen A. Holbrook took office in 2002 and was the first female president. E. Gordon Gee is the only president who served two terms after from serving from 1990 to 1998 and returning in 2007-2013. Michael V. Drake, former chancellor of the University of California, Irvine, assumed the role of university president on June 30, 2014.^[2] Drake also serves as the first African American president of the university. On June 3, 2020, it was announced that Kristina M. Johnson, the former chancellor of State University of New York, would be taking over as the 21st president. She was the first member of the LGBT community to openly serve in the position.^[3] After serving approximately two and a half years of her five year contract, Johnson resigned at the request of the university's board of trustees.^[4]

Presidents of Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College

Image	President	Term	Life
	Edward Orton, Sr.	1873–1878	1829–1899

Presidents of The Ohio State University

#	Image	Name	Term	Life	Notes
1		Edward Orton, Sr.	1878–1881	1829–1899	Orton Hall is named in his honor
2		Walter Q. Scott	1881–1883	1845–1917
3		William H. Scott	1883–1895	1840–1937	Three buildings on campus are named "Scott", including Scott Hall. Scott Laboratory and Scott House are not named in his honor.[5][6]
4		James H. Canfield	1895–1899	1847–1909	Canfield Residence Hall is named in his honor
5		William Oxley Thompson	1899–1925	1855–1933	William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library and statue named in his honor
6		George W. Rightmire	1925–1938	1868–1952	Rightmire Hall is named in his honor
–		William McPherson (acting)	1938–1940	1864–1951	McPherson Lab is named in his honor
7		Howard L. Bevis	1940–1956	1885–1968	Bevis Hall is named in his honor
8		Novice G. Fawcett	1956–1972	1909–1998	The Fawcett Center is named in his honor.
9		Harold L. Enarson	1972–1981	1919–2006	Enarson Classroom is named in his honor
10		Edward H. Jennings	1981–1990	1937–2019	Jennings Hall is named in his honor
11		E. Gordon Gee	1990–1998	1944–
–		John Richard Sisson (acting)	1997–1998	1936–	Sisson Hall is named in his honor
12		William Kirwan	1998–2002	1938–	The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity is named in his honor
–		Edward H. Jennings (interim)	2002	1937–2019	Jennings Hall is named in his honor
13		Karen A. Holbrook	2002–2007	1942–
–		Joseph A. Alutto (interim)	2007	1942–
14		E. Gordon Gee	2007–2013	1944–
–		Joseph A. Alutto (interim)	2013–2014	1942–
15		Michael V. Drake	2014–2020	1951–	Drake Performance and Event Center is not named in his honor [7]
16		Kristina M. Johnson	2020–2023	1957–
–		Peter Mohler (acting)	2023	1973–
17		Walter E. Carter Jr.	2024–	1959–