Past Presidents

Profiles

George Magoun

1821 (Bath, ME) - 1896 (Grinnell, IA)
Education
Bath Academy
Bowdoin College, 1841
Andover Seminary, 1847
studied at Yale seminary
Career
Principal of public school in Galena, IL and of academy in Platteville, WI, 1844-1846
Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church, Galena, IL, 1848
Pastor of Congregational churches, Davenport and Lyons, IA, 5 years each
Studied and practiced law in Burlington, 1851-1855
President of Iowa College, 1865-1884
Professor of Mental and Moral Science, Iowa College, 1884-1890

Samuel Jay Buck

1835 (Russia, NY) - 1918 (Grinnell, IA)
Education
Oberlin College, 1858
Oberlin College Theological Seminary, 1862
Career
Principal of academy, Orwell, OH, 1862-1864
Principal, Preparatory & English Department, Iowa College, 1864-1869
Professor of Mathematics & Natural Philosophy, Iowa College, 1869-1905
Acting President, Iowa College, 1884-87
Also county superintendent of schools, county surveyor, and financial agent for the college

George A. Gates

1851 (Topsham, VT) - 1912 (Nashville, TN)
Education
St. Johnsbury Academy
Dartmouth College, 1873
Andover Seminary, 1880
Study and travel abroad, 1878-1879
Career
Principal of academy, Morrisville, VT, 1873-1875
Pastor, Congregational Church in Upper Montclair, NJ, 1880-1887
President, Iowa College, 1887-1900
Pastor, Cheyenne, WY, 1900-1901
President, Pomona College, 1902-1909

Dan Freeman Bradley

1857 (Bangkok, Siam) - 1939 (Cleveland, OH)
Education
Oberlin College
Oberlin Theological Seminary, 1889
Career
Pastor, Congregational Church in Grand Rapids, MI
Acting President, Yankton College, SD, 1889-1892
President, Iowa College, 1902-1905
Pastor, Congregational Church, Cleveland, OH, 1905-1937

John Hanson Thomas Main

1859 (Toledo, OH) - 1931 (Grinnell, IA)
Education
Moore's Hill College, A.B., 1880, A.M., 1883
Johns Hopkins University, Ph.D, 1892
Studied at Oberlin College, Iowa State University, Harvard University, and Grinnell College
Career
Professor of Greek at Moore's Hill College, Women's College of Baltimore, and Johns Hopkins University
Professor of Greek, Grinnell College, 1892-1916
Acting President Grinnell College, 1900-1902
Dean of the Faculty, Grinnell College, 1902-1906
President Grinnell College, 1906-1931
Trustee, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Member of American Relief Commission to the Near East, ca. 1918
Mason

John Scholte Nollen

1866 (Pella, IA) - 1952 (Des Moines, IA)
Education
Central College, Pella, IA, 1883-1885
State University of Iowa, B.A., 1888
University of Zurich, 1890-1891
University of Paris & College de France, 1892-1893
University of Leipzig, Ph.D., 1893
University of Berlin, 1900-01
State University of Iowa, LL.D, 1910
Career
Instructor Science & Math, Central College Academy, 1885-1887
Tutor, Cham, Switzerland, 1888-1890
Professor of Modern Languages, Grinnell College, 1893-1903
Professor of German, Indiana University, 1903-1907
President, Lake Forest College, 1907-1918
General Secretary, YMCA war work in Italy, 1918-1920
Commissioner, American Red Cross Commission to Europe, 1920
Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Modern Languages, Grinnell College, 1920-1931
Director, Grinnell State Bank, 1926-??
President of Grinnell College, 1931-1940
President Emeritus, 1940-1952
Kiwanis

Samuel Nowell Stevens

1900 (Eastport, MD) - 1966
Education
Wesleyan University (CT), 1921
Garrett Institute, B.D., 1923
Northwestern University, Ph.D, 1925
Carleton College, LL.D., 1948
Career
Instructor in Psychology, Northwestern University, 1924-1934
Dean of the University College, Northwestern University, 1934-1940
U.S. Army during World War I
President, Grinnell College, 1940-1954
Stevens, Thurow & Associates (personnel management consultants), Chicago, IL, 1954-?

Rupert A. Hawk

1903 (Cottageville, WV) - 1959 (Grinnell, IA)
Education
Grinnell College, BA, 1924
Drake University Law School, 1928-1929
State University of Iowa, Iowa City (Commerce and law), MA, 1932
John Marshall Law School, D.Jurisprudence, 1957
Columbia University (Education), 1945
Career
Teacher, Grinnell public schools, 1923-1947
Superintendent of Schools, Grinnell, 1937-1947
Instructor of Speech, Grinnell College, 1929-1932
Assistant Professor of Education, Grinnell College, 1942-1946
Associate Professor of Economics & Business, Grinnell College, 1947-1956
Treasurer, Grinnell College, 1948-1956
Acting President, Grinnell College, 1954-1955
Lannom Manufacturing Co, Grinnell, General Counsel, 1929-1952
Mason, Kiwanis, Elks, American Bar Association

Howard Rothmann Bowen

1908 (Spokane, WA) - 1989 (Claremont, CA)
Education
Washington State University, BA, MA
State University of Iowa, Ph.D, 1935 (Economics)
Cambridge University and London School of Economics, 1937-1938
Career
Instructor, Assistant Professor, and Associate Professor of Economics, State University of Iowa, 1935-1942
US Department of Commerce (chief of business structure studies), 1942-1944
Chief Economist, Joint Congressional Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation, 1944-1945
Economist, Irving Trust Company, New York, 1945-1947
Dean, College of Commerce, and Professor of Economics, University of Illinois, 1947-1952
Professor of Economics, Williams College, 1952-1955
President, Grinnell College, 1955-1964
President, University of Iowa, 1964-1969
Professor of Economics, Claremont Graduate School, 1969-1970
President and Chancellor, Claremont University Center, 1970-1974
R. Stanton Avery Professor of Economics & Education, Claremont Graduate School, 1974-1984
Also consultant for federal and state commissions and agencies; author of 14 books and many articles; recipient of numerous awards and honors.

James Stauss

1914 (Otterville, IA) - 1975 (Colorado Springs, CO)
Education
Grinnell College, BA, 1936
Iowa State University, MS (Economics), 1937
University of Wisconsin, Ph.D, 1945
Career
Faculty member at Texas A&M, University of Wisconsin, and University of Tennessee
Instructor of Economics, Grinnell College, 1946-1969
Dean, Grinnell College, 1960-1969
Acting President, Grinnell College, 1964-1965
Dean, Colorado College, 1969-75

Glenn Leggett

1918 (Ashtabula, OH) - 2003 (Grinnell, IA)
Education
Middlebury College BA 1940
Ohio State University Ph.D 1949
Career
U.S. Navy, World War II
Taught at Ohio State University and M.I.T.
Taught at University of Washington 1952-?
Special Assistant to President, University of Washington
Vice Provost, University of Washington 1960-63
Provost, University of Washington 1963-65
President, Grinnell College 1965-74
Vice President for Corporate Communications, Deere & Co., Moline 1975-?
Author of numerous books

A. Richard Turner

1932 (New Bedford, MA) - 2011 (Cape May, N.J.)
Education
Princeton University, BA, 1955; MA, Ph.D, 1959
University of Rome, 1955-1956
Career
Instructor of Art, University of Michigan, 1959-1960
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Art, Princeton University, 1960-1968
Professor of Art, Middlebury College, 1968-1979
President, Grinnell College, 1975-1979
Director, New York University Institute of Fine Arts, 1979-
Author of books and numerous articles on art history.

George Drake

1934 (Springfield, MO) -
Education
Grinnell College, 1956
University of Paris, 1956-1957
Oxford University (Rhodes scholar), 1959-1962
University of Chicago, B.D., 1962; M.A., 1963; PhD, 1965
Colorado College, 1980; Ripon College, 1982, LL.D.
Illinois College, 1985; Ursinus College, 1988, L.H.D.
Career
Instructor of History, Grinnell College, 1960-1961
Professor of History, Colorado College, 1964-1979
Dean, Colorado College, 1969-1973
President, Grinnell College, 1979-1991
Peace Corps, South Africa, 1991-1993
Professor of History, Grinnell College, 1979-2004
President Emeritus, 2004-
Professor Emeritus of History, 2004-

Waldo S. Walker

1931 (Fayette, IA) -
Education
Upper Iowa University, B.S, 1953
University of Iowa, M.S. 1957; Ph.D., 1959 (Botany)
Career
Instructor, University of Iowa, 1956-1958
Assistant Professor of Biology, Associate Professor, and Professor of Biology, Grinnell College, 1959-1995
Associate Dean of the College, Grinnell College, 1963-1965
Project Director, National Science Foundation COSIP Grant, 1968-1971
Dean of Administration, Grinnell College, 1969-1973
Provost and Dean of the College, Grinnell College, 1973-1981
Executive Vice President of the College, Grinnell College, 1980-1991
Treasurer of the College, Grinnell College, 1988-1990
Acting President, Grinnell College, July 1988-January1989
Vice President for College Services & Director of Facilities Management, 1991-1995
Professor Emeritus of Biology 2001-

Pamela Ferguson

1943 (Berwyn, IL) - 2004 (Des Moines, IA)
Education
Wellesley College, BA, 1965
University of Chicago, M.S. 1966; Ph.D., 1969 (Mathematics)
Career
Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Northwestern University, 1969-1970
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Mathematics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, 1970-1991
Associate Provost & Dean of the Graduate School, University of Miami, Coral Gables, 1987-1991
President, Grinnell College, 1991-97
Professor of Mathematics, Grinnell College, 1997-2004

Charles Duke

1940 (Canton, NC) -
Education
North Carolina State University, BS, 1962
Iowa State University, Ph.D, 1967
Career
AEC Postdoctoral Fellow, Iowa State University 1967-68
Guest Physicist, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark 1968-69
Asst./Assoc./Full Professor of Physics, Grinnell College 1969-
Summer faculty program, Lawrence Livermore Lab 1970
Summer faculty program, Ames Laboratory 1971, 1972
Guest Professor, Mainz University, Mainz, Germany 1974-75
Guest Professor, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia 1983
Dean of the Faculty, Grinnell College 1987-92
Dean of the College, Grinnell College 1992-97
Interim President, Grinnell College Jan.-Aug. 1998
Professor of Physics, Grinnell College, 1998-
Author of numerous articles in physics and recipient of numerous research grants.

Russell K. Osgood

1947 (Fairborn, OH) -
Education
Yale College, BA, 1969
Yale Law School, J.D., 1974
Career
Surface Line Officer, United States Navy, 1969-1971
Associate Attorney, Hill & Barlow, 1974-1978
Associate Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law, 1978-1980
Associate Professor, Professor of Law, Cornell University, 1980-1988
Dean and Professor of Law, Cornell University, 1988-1998
President of Grinnell College, 1998-2010
Professor of History and Political Science, 2010-
Author of numerous legal books and articles in law journals.

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