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Yale Officers: Rectors & Presidents

About

Yale University had Rectors until 1745. After 1745, the Rector became known as the President.

Reuben A. Holden's Profiles and Portraits of Yale University Presidents contains biographies of the Presidents up to, and including, Kingman Brewster. Eventually, a digitized copy will be made available for those seeking further biographical information on the Presidents of Yale.

In the box below, the Presidents names are listed in chronological order with their years in office in parentheses. Where available, links are provided to finding aids for presidential records, personal papers, family papers, resignation records, inauguration records, and interviews. Images link to the Manuscripts and Archives Digital Image Database (MADID) record and the Office of the President's home page.

Rectors & Presidents

Rev. Abraham Pierson (1701 - 1707)

Statue of Abraham Pierson


 

 

 

 

Rev. Samuel Andrew (1707 - 1719)

Note: No portrait of Andrew has been found.


Rev. Timothy Cutler (1719 - 1722)


Rev. Elisha Williams (1726 - 1739)


Rev. Thomas Clap (1740 - 1766)

Note: Clap was Rector until 1745, then President. No portrait of Clap has been found.

Resource:

Thomas Clap, president of Yale College, records


Rev. Naphtali Daggett (1766 - 1777)

Resources:

Daggett Family Papers
Daggett Family Papers-Beinecke


Rev. Ezra Stiles (1778 - 1795)

Note: Stiles died in office.

Resource:

Ezra Stiles Papers


Rev. Timothy Dwight (1795 - 1817)

Note: Dwight died in office.

Resource:

Dwight Family Papers


Rev. Jeremiah Day (1817 - 1846)

Resource:

Day Family Papers


Rev. Theodore Dwight Woolsey (1846 - 1871)

Resources:

Theodore Dwight Woolsey, president of Yale College, records
Woolsey Family Papers


Noah Porter (1871 - 1886)

Resource:

Noah Porter papers


Rev. Timothy Dwight, the younger (1886 - 1899)

Resource:

Dwight Family Papers


Arthur Twining Hadley (1899 - 1921)

Resources:

Arthur Twining Hadley, president of Yale University, records
Hadley Family Papers


James Rowland Angell (1921 - 1937)

Resources:

James Rowland Angell, president of Yale University, records
James Rowland Angell personal papers


Charles Seymour (1937 - 1950)

Resources:

Charles Seymour, president of Yale University, records
Charles Seymour papers
Seymour Family Papers


Alfred Whitney Griswold (1950 - 1963)

Note: Griswold died in office.

Resources:

Alfred Whitney Griswold, president of Yale University, records
Alfred Whitney Griswold personal papers


Kingman Brewster, Jr. (1963 - 1977)

Resources:

Kingman Brewster, Jr., president of Yale University, records
Kingman Brewster, Jr., president of Yale University, inauguration records
Kingman Brewster, Jr., president of Yale University, resignation records
Yale Daily News interview of Kingman Brewster, Jr.


Hanna Holborn Gray (1977 - 1978)

Resource:

Hanna Holborn Gray, president of Yale University, records


Angelo Bartlett Giamatti (1978 - 1986)

Resources:

A. Bartlett Giamatti, president of Yale University, records
Angelo Bartlett Giamatti, president of Yale University, inauguration records


Benno C. Schmidt, Jr. (1986 - 1992)

Resources:

Benno C. Schmidt, Jr., president of Yale University, records
Benno C. Schmidt, Jr., president of Yale University, inauguration records


Howard R. Lamar (1992 - 1993)

Resource:

Howard Roberts Lamar papers


Richard C. Levin (1993 - 2013)

Resources:

Richard C. Levin, president of Yale University, records
Richard C. Levin, president of Yale University, inauguration records


Peter Salovey (2013 - Present)

Resources:

Peter Salovey, president of Yale University, records

Peter Salovey, president of Yale University, inauguration records 

Contact

Profile Photo
Manuscripts and Archives
Contact:
Manuscripts and Archives

Yale University Library

P.O. Box 208240

New Haven, CT 06520-8240

(203) 432-1735
Website