List of presidents of Brown University

The following is a 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:

No.	Image	President	Brown Class	Life	Tenure	Notes
1		James Manning	–	1738–1791	1765–1791	The College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was founded in Warren, (1765) and relocated to Providence (1770). Brown's current campus on College Hill is established with the construction of University Hall (1770). The college closed in December 1776 due to the American Revolution and reopened in September 1782.[1]
2		Jonathan Maxcy	1787	1768–1820	1792–1802	First alum to be president and youngest president in Brown's history; Maxcy's reputation as a skilled orator benefited the reputation of the fledgling college.[2][3] Enrollment passed 100 students (1800).
3		Asa Messer	1790	1769–1836	1802–1826	The College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was renamed Brown University following a gift from Nicholas Brown, Jr (1804). A program in medical study was organized in 1811. The Messer administration was characterized by increasing unruliness and misbehavior of students.[4]
4		Francis Wayland	–	1796–1865	1827–1855	Wayland sought out to improve student discipline. Medical instruction was suspended (1827) following a dispute over a proposed residence requirement for medical professors.[5] Brown established the third civilian engineering program in the country (1847). Wayland urged adoption of a broader curriculum (1850), laying the groundwork for the Open Curriculum.
5		Barnas Sears	1825	1802–1880	1855–1867	Despite the Panic of 1857 and Civil War, Sears oversaw the construction of a new chemistry laboratory and an increase in the University's endowment.[6] Entrance and degree requirements were made stricter, benefiting the reputation of the University.[7] Sears was widely popular among students.[8]
6		Alexis Caswell	1822	1799–1877	1868–1872	The University's financial assets grew by nearly 85%.Tuition, faculty salaries, and enrollment all increased.[9]
7		Ezekiel Robinson[10]	1838	1815–1894	1872–1889	Graduate study was instituted (1888–1889). Robinson (1878), Slater (1879), and Sayles Halls (1881) were constructed.
8		Elisha Andrews	1870	1844–1917	1889–1898	Enrollment more than doubled.[7] The graduate program was expanded and the Women's College was founded (1891).
9		William Faunce[11]	1880	1859–1930	1899–1929	Enrollment passed 1,000 (1915) and doubled to pass 2,000 (1925). The Women's College was renamed Pembroke College in Brown University (1928).
10		Clarence Barbour	1888	1867–1937	1929–1937	Last of long line of Baptist minister Presidents
11		Henry Wriston	–	1889–1978	1937–1955	First non-Baptist (Methodist) president and first president since Wayland to not be a Brown alumnus
12		Barnaby Keeney	–	1914–1980	1955–1966	Brown purchased the Dexter Asylum property.
13		Ray Heffner	–	1925–2012	1966–1969	Brown's New Curriculum was passed. Heffner resigned after only three years, stating "I have simply reached the conclusion that I do not enjoy being a university president."[12]
14		Donald Hornig	–	1920–2013	1970–1976	Pembroke fully merged with the College of Brown University (1971). A medical program was re-established (1972).[13]
15		Howard Swearer	–	1932–1991	1977–1988	Under Swearer's leadership, Brown advanced in rankings, saw a threefold increase in research grants, quadrupled its previously-dwindling endowment, and grew in popularity.[14][15] The Watson Institute was founded as the Institute for International Studies (1986). Brown's athletic facilities expanded significantly with the construction of both the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center (1981) and the Pizzitola Sports Center (1988).[16]
16		Vartan Gregorian	–	1934–2021	1989–1997	Vartan Gregorian was Brown's first foreign-born president. During his tenure, Brown saw fundraising success, with the University's endowment surpassing $1 billion.[17] Applications increased, undergraduate scholarships doubled, and the University's reputation grew.[18][19]
17		Gordon Gee	–	1944–	1998–2000	Plans were announced for a large biomedical sciences building requiring the sale of $80 million in bonds; funds were cut for a popular string quartet drawing criticism that Gee's vision is at odds with the University's liberal arts-oriented identity.[20] Gee resigned abruptly after only two years in a move criticized by University leaders.[21]
18		Ruth Simmons	–	1945–	2001–2012	At the time of her appointment Simmons became Brown's first woman president and the first African-American president of an Ivy League university.[22] In 2001, Time named Simmons America's best college president. The Sidney E. Frank Hall for Life Sciences (2006) and Granoff Center for the Creative Arts both opened (2011). Following a $100 million gift, the Medical School was renamed the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University (2007).[23] The University opened a new medical campus in the Jewelry District (2011).[24]
19		Christina Paxson	–	1960–	2012–	Christina Paxson is Brown's current president. During her tenure, Brown has established its School of Public Health, expanded the physical footprint of the School of Engineering, and completed a historically large fundraising campaign.[25][26] The university has also undertaken a significant expansion of residential facilities, constructing its first new dormitories in 35 years.[27][28]