History

UW–Madison presidents and chancellors

(See also: Bios and photos from UW Archives)

  1. 1849–1858

    John Hiram Lathrop

  2. 1859–1860

    Henry Barnard

  3. 1860–1867

    John W. Sterling

  4. 1867–1870

    Paul A. Chadbourne

  5. 1871–1874

    John W. Twombly

  6. 1874–1887

    John A. Bascom

  7. 1887–1892

    Thomas C. Chamberlin

  8. 1892–1901

    Charles K. Adams

  9. 1901–1903

    Edward A. Birge (acting)

  10. 1903–1918

    Charles R. Van Hise

  11. 1918–1925

    Edward A. Birge

  12. 1925–1937

    Glenn Frank

  13. 1937

    George C. Sellery (acting)

  14. 1937–1945

    Clarence A. Dykstra

  15. 1945–1958

    Edwin Broun Fred

  16. 1958–1962

    Conrad A. Elvehjem

  17. 1962–1970

    Fred Harvey Harrington1

  18. 1964–1967

    Robben Fleming2

  19. 1967–1968

    William Sewell

  20. 1968

    Bryant Kearl (acting)

  21. 1968–1977

    Edwin Young

  22. 1970

    Robert Clodius (acting)

  23. 1970–1971

    John Weaver

  24. 1977

    Glenn S. Pound (acting)

  25. 1977–1986

    Irving Shain

  26. 1987

    Bernard Cohen (acting)

  27. 1988–1993

    Donna E. Shalala

  28. 1993–2000

    David Ward

  29. 2001–present

    John D. Wiley

1
From 1965 to 1971, UW–Madison was led by both a president and chancellor. Harrington was succeeded as president by Robert Clodius (acting) and John Weaver, who became president of the new University of Wisconsin System in 1971. (Go back to the list)
2
Appointed as provost in 1964; title changed to chancellor in 1965. (Go back to the list)