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This list of presidents of The Ohio State University includes all who have served as university presidents of The 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.
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]
The following persons have served as president of Ohio State University:[5][6]
Table notes:
The Ohio State University Board of Trustees named Joseph Alutto to serve as interim president. Karen Holbrook's term will end next Saturday. Alutto will assume responsibilites as university officials continue their search for a new president.
Ohio State University President Gordon Gee announced his retirement Tuesday after he came under fire for jokingly referring to "those damn Catholics" at Notre Dame and poking fun at the academic quality of other schools... Gee, 69, decided while on vacation that he would step down on July 1.
He will begin work as president on June 30.
The University of California Board of Regents announced today the appointment of Dr. Michael Drake as the 21st president of UC's world-renowned system of 10 campuses, five medical centers, three nationally affiliated labs, more than 280,000 students and 230,000 faculty and staff.
University President Kristina M. Johnson announced her resignation in a university-wide email Monday... Johnson's tenure as president will end after commencement in spring 2023, she said.
The Ohio State University on Thursday selected an internal candidate to replace Ted Carter Jr. as the institution's 18th president. The Ohio State Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Executive Vice President and President Ravi V. Bellamkonda to become the university's next leader, bypassing the traditional nationwide search to name its fourth president since 2020... Bellamkonda's appointment follows Carter's abrupt resignation earlier this week. Carter stepped down on Monday after disclosing an "inappropriate relationship" with someone seeking public resources for their private business... Carter was selected as Ohio State's 17th president in 2023, succeeding Kristina Johnson, who resigned in November 2022. He started his position on Jan. 1, 2024.