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President of Harvard University
Alan Garber at the George W. Gay Lecture at Harvard Medical School (2015) 04.png
Incumbent
Alan Garber

since January 2, 2024 (2024-01-02)
Appointer Harvard Corporation
Formation 1640 (1640)
First holder Henry Dunster

The president of Harvard University is the main leader of Harvard University. This person also serves as the president of the Harvard Corporation. The other members of the Corporation choose the president. They trust the president to manage the university every day.

Harvard's current president is Alan Garber. He started his role on January 2, 2024. He took over after Claudine Gay resigned.

What the President Does

The president helps plan the future of Harvard University. They make important decisions about the university's direction. The president chooses the leaders, called deans, for different parts of the university. They also pick the university's provost, a top academic officer.

The president also decides which professors get tenure. This means professors get a permanent job. However, the president talks a lot with professors before making these big choices.

Lately, the president's job has become more about managing things. A big part of the job is now raising money for the university. Some people think this takes away from focusing on education.

Each president is also a professor. They sometimes teach classes at the university. Harvard provides a special house for the president to live in. From 1912 to 1971, it was President's House. Since then, it has been Elmwood.

How Presidents Have Influenced Education

HarvardUniversityPresidents1829-1862
Five Harvard University presidents, sitting in order of when they served. From left to right: Josiah Quincy III, Edward Everett, Jared Sparks, James Walker and Cornelius Conway Felton.

Harvard presidents have often changed how education works across the United States. For example, Charles W. Eliot created the idea of students choosing their own courses. This is common in many schools today.

James B. Conant helped bring in standardized tests. These tests are used to compare students' knowledge. Later, Derek Bok and Neil L. Rudenstine spoke about the importance of having many different kinds of students at universities. They believed in diversity in higher education.

History of Harvard's Leaders

When Harvard was first started, its leader was called a "schoolmaster." Nathaniel Eaton was the first. In 1640, Henry Dunster became the leader and was called "president."

Harvard was first created to train Puritan religious leaders. Because of this, most presidents until the late 1700s were religious figures.

Most presidents from 1672 to 1971 had graduated from Harvard College. After 1971, almost all presidents earned a graduate degree from Harvard. The only exception was Drew Gilpin Faust. She was the first president since the 1600s who did not have a degree from Harvard.

Presidents of Harvard

No. Image Presidents Term of office Length Notes
Eaton, NathanielNathaniel Eaton 1637–1639 2 years Called "schoolmaster" of Harvard College
Removed from his position due to serious issues.
1 Dunster, HenryHenry Dunster 1640–1654 14 years, 1 month and 27 days Left his role due to disagreements about religious practices.
2 HarvardPresidentCharlesChauncy.jpg Chauncy, CharlesCharles Chauncy 1654–1672 17 years, 3 months and 17 days Died while in office.
3 Hoar, LeonardLeonard Hoar 1672–1675 2 years, 3 months and 5 days Asked to resign.
4 Urian Oakes tomb - Cambridge, MA.jpg Oakes, UrianUrian Oakes 1675–1680 (acting); 1680–1681 6 years, 3 months and 18 days (total);

4 years, 9 months and 26 days (acting); 1 year, 5 months and 23 days

Died while in office.
5 Harvard president John Rogers.png Rogers, JohnJohn Rogers 1682–1684 2 years, 3 months and 2 days Died while in office.
6 Appletons' Mather Richard - Increase.jpg Mather, IncreaseIncrease Mather 1685–1686 (acting); 1686–1692 (rector); 1692–1701 16 years and 18 days (total); 1 year and 12 days (acting); 6 years and 4 days (rector); 9 years and 2 days Asked to resign.
Appletons' Willard Simon - Samuel.jpg Willard, SamuelSamuel Willard 1701–1707 (acting) 6 years and 6 days Resigned due to illness.
7 John Leverett.gif Leverett, JohnJohn Leverett 1708–1724 16 years, 3 months and 19 days First lawyer to be president. Died while in office.
8 BenjaminWadsworth 1stChurch Boston.png Wadsworth, BenjaminBenjamin Wadsworth 1725–1737 11 years, 8 months and 9 days Died while in office.
9 John Singleton Copley - Edward Holyoke (1689-1769) - H6 - Harvard Art Museums.jpg Holyoke, EdwardEdward Holyoke 1737–1769 32 years At 79, he was the oldest president. Died while in office.
JohnWinthropAstronomer.jpg Winthrop, JohnJohn Winthrop 1769 (acting) Did not want to be president permanently because of his age.
10 Locke, SamuelSamuel Locke 1770–1773 3 years, 6 months and 10 days Resigned due to personal reasons.
JohnWinthropAstronomer.jpg Winthrop, JohnJohn Winthrop 1773–1774 (acting) Again, did not want to be president permanently because of his age.
11 Langdon, SamuelSamuel Langdon 1774–1780 6 years, 1 month and 12 days Students asked for his removal, and he resigned.
Edward Wigglesworth II.jpg Wigglesworth, EdwardEdward Wigglesworth 1780–1781 (acting)
12 Coat of Arms of Joseph Willard.svg Willard, JosephJoseph Willard 1781–1804 23 years and 20 days Died while in office.
Eliphalet Pearson.png Pearson, EliphaletEliphalet Pearson 1804–1806 (acting) Served as acting president after Willard's death.
13 Webber, SamuelSamuel Webber 1806–1810 4 years, 2 months and 11 days Died while in office.
Henry Ware Sr. (1764-1845).jpeg Ware, HenryHenry Ware 1810 (acting) Served as acting president after Webber's death.
14 JohnThorntonKikland.jpg Kirkland, John ThorntonJohn Thornton Kirkland 1810–1828 17 years, 4 months and 19 days Resigned due to health issues and concerns about how money was managed.
Henry Ware Sr. (1764-1845).jpeg Ware, HenryHenry Ware 1828-1829 (acting) Served as acting president after Kirkland resigned.
15 Josiah Quincy 1772-1864.jpg Quincy III, JosiahJosiah Quincy III 1829–1845 16 years, 6 months and 29 days Retired from his position.
16 Edward Everett, 1794-1865, three-quarter length portrait, standing, facing left (cropped closein 3x4).jpg Everett, EdwardEdward Everett 1846–1848 2 years, 11 months and 27 days Resigned because he was not happy with the job. Later became a Secretary of State and a Senator.
17 Jared Sparks.jpg Sparks, JaredJared Sparks 1849–1853 4 years and 9 days Resigned because he was not happy with the job.
18 James Walker Harvard.jpg Walker, JamesJames Walker 1853–1860 6 years, 11 months and 16 days Resigned due to arthritis.
19 Cornelius Conway Felton (cropped).jpg Felton, Cornelius ConwayCornelius Conway Felton 1860–1862 2 years and 10 days Died from a heart disease while traveling.
Andrew Preston Peabody.jpg Peabody, Andrew PrestonAndrew Preston Peabody 1862 (acting) Served as acting president after Felton's death.
20 Thomas Hill b1818.jpg Hill, ThomasThomas Hill 1862–1868 5 years, 11 months and 24 days Resigned due to poor health.
Andrew Preston Peabody.jpg Peabody, Andrew PrestonAndrew Preston Peabody 1868-1869 (acting) Served as acting president after Hill resigned due to illness.
21 Appletons' Eliot Charles William.jpg Eliot, Charles WilliamCharles William Eliot 1869–1909 40 years, 2 months and 7 days At 35, he was the youngest president. He served the longest term (40 years).
22 Picture of Abbott Lawrence Lowell.jpg Lowell, A. LawrenceA. Lawrence Lowell 1909–1933 24 years, 1 month and 2 days Retired from his position.
23 James Conant 1932.jpg Conant, James B.James B. Conant 1933–1953 19 years, 6 months and 22 days Retired to become a high commissioner and later an ambassador for the U.S.
24 Nathan Pusey Boston College 1963 (cropped).JPG Pusey, NathanNathan Pusey 1953–1971 18 years and 29 days He called the police during a student protest in 1969. He was criticized for this and announced his retirement in 1970.
25 Bok, DerekDerek Bok 1971–1991 19 years, 11 months and 29 days Henry Rosovsky served as acting president when Bok was away.
26 Rudenstine, NeilNeil Rudenstine 1991–2001 9 years, 11 months and 29 days Provost Albert Carnesale was acting president for three months when Rudenstine was on medical leave.
27 Lawrence Summers 2012.jpg Summers, LawrenceLawrence Summers 2001–2006 4 years, 11 months and 29 days First Jewish president. He had the shortest time in office since the Civil War. He resigned after disagreements with professors.
Bok, DerekDerek Bok 2006–2007 (interim) 11 months and 29 days Served as acting president after Summers resigned.
28 Women in Economic Decision-making Drew Gilpin Faust (8414040540) (cropped).jpg Faust, Drew GilpinDrew Gilpin Faust 2007–2018 10 years, 11 months and 29 days First female president.
29 Lawrence Bacow in San Francisco pictured 2006.jpg Bacow, LawrenceLawrence Bacow 2018–2023 4 years, 11 months and 29 days Retired from his position.
30 Inauguration of Claudine Gay as President of Harvard University (2) (cropped).jpg Gay, ClaudineClaudine Gay 2023–2024 6 months and 1 day She was the shortest serving president. She resigned after facing challenges and questions about her past work. She was the first Black president.
31 Alan Garber at the George W. Gay Lecture at Harvard Medical School (2015) 04.png Garber, AlanAlan Garber 2024–Present 1 year, 6 months and 4 days He was first appointed as interim president after Gay's resignation. He was then permanently appointed as the 31st president until 2027.
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