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.
Rev. Abraham Pierson (1701 - 1707)
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:
Rev. Timothy Dwight (1795 - 1817)
Note: Dwight died in office.
Resource:
Rev. Jeremiah Day (1817 - 1846)
Resource:
Rev. Theodore Dwight Woolsey (1846 - 1871)
Resources:
Theodore Dwight Woolsey, president of Yale College, records
Woolsey Family Papers
Noah Porter (1871 - 1886)
Resource:
Rev. Timothy Dwight, the younger (1886 - 1899)
Resource:
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:
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