List of Purdue University presidents

Purdue University and the associated university system have had 13 official and 5 officially acting presidents since the university was founded in 1869.

List of presidents

No.	Name	Term start	Term end	Duration of Service	Ref(s)
1	Richard Owen	August 13, 1872	March 1, 1874	1 year, 6 months, 16 days	^: 28
2	Abraham C. Shortridge	June 12, 1874	November 6, 1875	1 year, 4 months, 25 days	^: 29
acting	John S. Hougham	November 6, 1875	April 30, 1876	5 months, 24 days	^: 30
3	Emerson E. White	May 1, 1876	August 23, 1883	7 years, 3 months, 22 days	^: 30
4	James H. Smart	August 23, 1883	February 21, 1900^†	16 years, 5 months, 29 days	^: 32
5	Winthrop E. Stone	February 21, 1900	July 17, 1921^†	21 years, 5 months, 5 days	^: 33
acting	Henry W. Marshall	July 17, 1921	September 1, 1922	1 year, 1 month, 15 days	^: 34
6	Edward C. Elliott	September 1, 1922	December 21, 1945	23 years, 3 months, 20 days	^: 34
acting	Andrey A. Potter	December 21, 1945	January 1, 1946	11 days	^: 37
7	Frederick L. Hovde	January 1, 1946	June 24, 1971	25 years, 5 months, 23 days	^: 37
8	Arthur G. Hansen	June 25, 1971	July 1, 1982	11 years, 6 days	^: 39
acting	John W. Hicks	July 2, 1982	June 30, 1983	11 months, 28 days	^: 40
9	Steven C. Beering	July 1, 1983	August 13, 2000	17 years, 1 month, 12 days	^: 40
10	Martin C. Jischke	August 14, 2000	July 15, 2007	6 years, 11 months, 1 day	^: 42
11	France A. Córdova	July 16, 2007	June 30, 2012	4 years, 11 months, 14 days	^: 43
acting	Timothy Sands	July 1, 2012	January 14, 2013	6 months, 13 days	^: 45
12	Mitchell E. Daniels	January 14, 2013	December 31, 2022	9 years, 11 months, 17 days	^: 46
13	Mung Chiang	January 1, 2023	June 30, 2026	3 years, 9 months and 19 days
acting	Mitchell E. Daniels	July 1, 2026	Present	3 months and 19 days

† - died in office.

References

↑ "Purdue Past Presidents". Purdue University.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Purdue Reamer Club, ed. (2012) [2002]. A University of Tradition: The Spirit of Purdue (2nd ed.). Purdue University Press. ISBN 9781557536303. Retrieved June 25, 2013 – via Google Books.
↑ "FORMER CHICAGOAN NAMED PURDUE CHIEF". Purdue Exponent. May 24, 2000. Martin Jischke, the president of Iowa State University, who grew up on Chicago's South Side and in the near western suburbs, has been named the new president of Purdue University effective Aug. 14.
↑ Van Wyk, Rich (August 4, 2006). "Purdue's Jischke announces retirement". WTHR. Martin Jischke announced on Friday his plans to step down as Purdue University president. Jischke plans to step down June 30, 2007.
↑ "Purdue names Calif. physicist president". United Press International. May 8, 2007. Indiana's Purdue University has named physicist France A. Cordova of the University of California at Riverside its newest president.
↑ "Significant events of France A. Córdova's presidency". Purdue University. France A. Córdova became Purdue's 11th president on July 16, 2007.
↑ Westberg, Lauren (July 1, 2011). "President France Cordova announces this is her final year". Purdue Exponent. Purdue president France Cordova announced Friday afternoon that this will be her final year at Purdue. Her five-year contract goes through July of 2012 and she will step down once it expires.
↑ "Mitch Daniels selected as Purdue's 12th president". WBAA. June 21, 2012. Daniels will serve out the remainder of his term as governor before taking over as head of Purdue in January. In the meantime, Provost Tim Sands will serve as the university's interim president.
↑ "Tim Sands named acting President". Purdue University Engineering. July 23, 2012. On June 21, 2012, the Purdue Board of Trustees announced that Timothy D. Sands will serve as acting president of the university until January 2013 when Gov. Mitch Daniels becomes the 12th President of Purdue.
↑ "Trustees elect Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. as Purdue's 12th president". Purdue University. June 21, 2012. Daniels will start in January at the conclusion of his second term as governor. He will be Purdue's 12th president, succeeding France A. Córdova, who will step down July 15.
↑ Thorp, Ben (June 10, 2022). "Purdue University president Mitch Daniels to resign, school elevates Dean of Engineering". WBST. Chiang will officially replace Daniels on January 1, 2023.
↑ "Purdue University names Chiang its next president". Purdue University. June 10, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023. The Purdue Board of Trustees announced today (June 10) its unanimous election of Dr. Mung Chiang, currently the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, as the university's next president. Dr. Chiang will replace current president Mitch Daniels effective Jan. 1, 2023. Daniels has served since January 2013.
↑ "Purdue Trustees: President Chiang to depart for Northwestern University presidency". Purdue University. May 18, 2026. Purdue University's Board of Trustees on Monday (May 18) announced that President Mung Chiang has informed them that he has accepted an offer to become president of Northwestern University, a role he will assume on July 1.
↑ Jung, Dain (May 25, 2026). "Daniels will be Purdue's interim president during search for Chiang's successor". WFIU. Mitch Daniels is returning to Purdue University as interim president after current president Mung Chiang departs for Northwestern University. Purdue's Board of Trustees approved Daniels' appointment Monday morning. Daniels, Purdue's president from 2013 to 2022, will officially begin as interim president July 1.

[1] "Purdue Past Presidents". Purdue University.

[2012spirit-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Purdue Reamer Club, ed. (2012) [2002]. A University of Tradition: The Spirit of Purdue (2nd ed.). Purdue University Press. ISBN 9781557536303. Retrieved June 25, 2013 – via Google Books.

[3] "FORMER CHICAGOAN NAMED PURDUE CHIEF". Purdue Exponent. May 24, 2000. Martin Jischke, the president of Iowa State University, who grew up on Chicago's South Side and in the near western suburbs, has been named the new president of Purdue University effective Aug. 14.

[4] Van Wyk, Rich (August 4, 2006). "Purdue's Jischke announces retirement". WTHR. Martin Jischke announced on Friday his plans to step down as Purdue University president. Jischke plans to step down June 30, 2007.

[5] "Purdue names Calif. physicist president". United Press International. May 8, 2007. Indiana's Purdue University has named physicist France A. Cordova of the University of California at Riverside its newest president.

[6] "Significant events of France A. Córdova's presidency". Purdue University. France A. Córdova became Purdue's 11th president on July 16, 2007.

[7] Westberg, Lauren (July 1, 2011). "President France Cordova announces this is her final year". Purdue Exponent. Purdue president France Cordova announced Friday afternoon that this will be her final year at Purdue. Her five-year contract goes through July of 2012 and she will step down once it expires.

[8] "Mitch Daniels selected as Purdue's 12th president". WBAA. June 21, 2012. Daniels will serve out the remainder of his term as governor before taking over as head of Purdue in January. In the meantime, Provost Tim Sands will serve as the university's interim president.

[9] "Tim Sands named acting President". Purdue University Engineering. July 23, 2012. On June 21, 2012, the Purdue Board of Trustees announced that Timothy D. Sands will serve as acting president of the university until January 2013 when Gov. Mitch Daniels becomes the 12th President of Purdue.

[10] "Trustees elect Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. as Purdue's 12th president". Purdue University. June 21, 2012. Daniels will start in January at the conclusion of his second term as governor. He will be Purdue's 12th president, succeeding France A. Córdova, who will step down July 15.

[11] Thorp, Ben (June 10, 2022). "Purdue University president Mitch Daniels to resign, school elevates Dean of Engineering". WBST. Chiang will officially replace Daniels on January 1, 2023.

[12] "Purdue University names Chiang its next president". Purdue University. June 10, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023. The Purdue Board of Trustees announced today (June 10) its unanimous election of Dr. Mung Chiang, currently the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, as the university's next president. Dr. Chiang will replace current president Mitch Daniels effective Jan. 1, 2023. Daniels has served since January 2013.

[13] "Purdue Trustees: President Chiang to depart for Northwestern University presidency". Purdue University. May 18, 2026. Purdue University's Board of Trustees on Monday (May 18) announced that President Mung Chiang has informed them that he has accepted an offer to become president of Northwestern University, a role he will assume on July 1.

[14] Jung, Dain (May 25, 2026). "Daniels will be Purdue's interim president during search for Chiang's successor". WFIU. Mitch Daniels is returning to Purdue University as interim president after current president Mung Chiang departs for Northwestern University. Purdue's Board of Trustees approved Daniels' appointment Monday morning. Daniels, Purdue's president from 2013 to 2022, will officially begin as interim president July 1.