List of presidents of the University of Oklahoma

This list of presidents of the University of Oklahoma includes all fifteen individuals who have served as the president of the University of Oklahoma and eight interim presidents since the institution was founded in 1890. The University of Oklahoma is a public university, created and supported by the state of Oklahoma, and it is a designated research university. The campus of the university is located in Norman, and it has facilities in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.[1]

David Ross Boyd was appointed by the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma to serve as the first president of the University of Oklahoma. Joseph Harroz Jr. is the fifteenth and current president of the University of Oklahoma, Harroz Jr. succeeded James L. Gallogly on May 9, 2020, after serving as interim president for the previous year. [2]

Presidents
No. Image Name Term start Term end Ref.
1 David Ross Boyd 1892 1908 [3][4]
2 A. Grant Evans 1908 1911 [3][4]
interim Julien Monnet 1911 1912 [5]
3 Stratton D. Brooks 1912 1923 [3][4]
interim James S. Buchanan 1923 1924 [3][4][5]
4 1924 1925 [3][4]
5 William Bizzell 1925 1941 [3][4]
6 Joseph A. Brandt 1941 1943 [3][4]
interim George Lynn Cross 1943 1944 [3][4][5]
7 1944 1968 [3][4]
8 John Herbert Hollomon Jr. 1968 1970 [3][4]
interim Pete Kyle McCarter 1970 1971 [5]
9 Paul F. Sharp 1971 1978 [3][4]
10 William S. Banowsky 1978 1985 [3][4]
interim Martin C. Jischke 1985 September 10, 1985 [5]
11 Frank E. Horton September 11, 1985 June 30, 1988 [3][4][6][7][8]
interim David Swank July 1, 1988 July 14, 1989 [5][8]
12 Richard L. Van Horn July 15, 1989 June 5, 1994 [3][9][10]
interim John R. Morris June 6, 1994 November 16, 1994 [5][11]
13 David Boren November 17, 1994 June 30, 2018 [3][12][11][13][14][15]
14 James L. Gallogly July 1, 2018 May 17, 2019 [a] [16][17][18]
interim Joseph Harroz Jr. May 17, 2019 May 9, 2020 [5][19]
15 May 9, 2020 present [20]

Table notes:

  1. ↑ Served less than one year. Shortest tenure for a full president.

References

  1. ↑ "OU–Tulsa Future Sooners". University of Oklahoma. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  2. ↑ "The University of Oklahoma Chronological History" (PDF). The University of Oklahoma. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "OU Presidents: A Chronology". The Oklahoman. April 28, 1994. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Thacker, Kathi (June 5, 1988). "OU Presidents Left Due to Politics, Health, New Jobs". Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Douglas, Blake (May 9, 2020). "Harroz named 15th OU president: After an 8th interim presidency, a look back at OU's 7 previous interims". OU Daily. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  6. ↑ Gossard, Melinda (August 22, 1985). "Horton preparing for OU job". The Oklahoma Daily. Vol. 72, no. 2. p. 1. Frank Horton, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. will begin his tenure as 11th president of OU Sept. 11... Interim President Martin Jischke will step down Sept. 10, Burr said.
  7. ↑ "Horton announces resignation". The Oklahoma Daily. Vol. 73, no. 168. June 1, 1988. p. 1. OU President Frank Horton announced Tuesday his resignation as leader of the university, stating in a letter to the OU Board of Regents that he wants to return to teaching. In an OU news release, Regents Chairman Elwood Kemp said that Horton's resignation be addressed at the regents' meeting June 8. and 9. In the letter, Horton requested the resignation be effective Aug. 1,
  8. 1 2 Bursik, Jennifer (June 9, 1988). "Regents okay budget, interim president". The Oklahoma Daily. Vol. 73, no. 174. p. 1. The OU Board of Regents approved three administrative appointments, including that of OU College of Law Dean David Swank as OU interim president, and proposed 1988-89 budget in a meeting Wednesday. Swank's appointment is effective July 1.
  9. ↑ Sakelaris, Linda Kay (May 10, 1989). "Van Horn pledges continuity, progress". The Oklahoma Daily. Vol. 73, no. 162. p. 1. The 57-year-old administrator is scheduled to begin his term as OU's 12th president on July 15.
  10. ↑ Netherton, Ginnie (October 15, 1993). "Van Horn resigns". The Oklahoma Daily. Vol. 78, no. 43. p. 1. Citing wishes to return to teaching and research in business, Van Horn made an emotional statement to the OU Board of Regents Thursday that he would step down July 31.
  11. 1 2 Lawson, Carlie (May 11, 1994). "Regents to appoint interim president". The Oklahoma Daily. Vol. 78, no. 163. p. 1. The OU Board of Regents will probably appoint Regents will probably appoint Regents Emeritus Professor J.R. Morris as interim president and decide the fate of the proposed Student Activity Fee budge for 1994-95 at its Wednesday and Thursday meeting in Tulsa. U.S. Sen. David Boren, D-Okla. was named OU's 13th president April 27. His term will not begin until the current U.S. Congressional session ends in November.
  12. ↑ Lawson, Carlie (April 28, 1994). "Boren to take office in November". The Oklahoma Daily. Vol. 78, no. 161. pp. 1, 2. U.S. Senator David Boren will be OU's 13th president, and he's itching to get to work... Boren will take office in November, after the current congressional session. OU President Richard Van Horn's resignation goes into effect into effect July 31, but Van Horn has volunteered to remain in office until the next president takes over.
  13. ↑ Mathis, Joy (November 17, 1994). "President hits OU grounds running". The Oklahoma Daily. Vol. 79, no. 70. p. 1. From U.S. senator and president designate to President and Chied Executive Officer of the University of Oklahoma, David Boren jumps in feet first today, having closed his. U.S. Senate offices and shifting his focus.
  14. ↑ Moriak, Meredith (January 25, 2011). "President David Boren's term 2nd-longest in OU history". OU Daily.
  15. ↑ Prickett, Austin (September 20, 2017). "Boren announces plans to retire as President of OU". KOKH-TV. University of Oklahoma President David Boren will retire at the end of the school year... He took over the role in December 1994 after serving in the United States Senate... Boren will step down effective June 30, 2018, if a successor has been selected by the university.
  16. ↑ Harris, Adam (March 26, 2018). "Former Oil Executive and Big Donor Will Be U of Oklahoma's Next President". Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  17. ↑ "James L. Gallogly Selected as The University of Oklahoma's 14th President". University of Oklahoma. March 26, 2018. March 26, 2018 – The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents today announced the selection of James L. "Jim" Gallogly, 65, a leading American business executive and OU alumnus, as the University's 14th president. Gallogly will succeed OU's current president, David L. Boren, who is retiring on June 30, 2018.
  18. ↑ "OU's President Resigns". KWGS. May 13, 2019. A former energy industry CEO and major OU donor who began his tenure on July 1, Gallogly said he informed the university's regents that he would step down once they have a transition plan in place.
  19. ↑ Rainbolt-Forbes, Leslie J. (May 17, 2019). "Interim President Named". University of Oklahoma. On behalf of the Board of Regents, I am pleased to announce tonight that Dean Joseph Harroz Jr. has been appointed as interim president of the University of Oklahoma.
  20. ↑ Raache, Hicham (May 9, 2020). "Joe Haroz Jr. Officially Named University of Oklahoma's 15th President". KFOR-TV. Retrieved July 12, 2023. Joseph Harroz Jr., who has been serving as the University of Oklahoma's interim president, has officially been named the university's 15th president effective immediately. The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents unanimously voted Saturday to name Harroz the full-time president of the university.