Thepresident ofFlorida State University is the executive officer of theFlorida State University Board of Trustees, and essentially, the leader of the university. Florida State's campus is inTallahassee, Florida, the state capitol. Although the institution was officially founded on January 24, 1851, it became the state's first Liberal Arts College in 1897.[1]
The school's name did not reach the present form until 1945, going through a number of different names between 1851 and 1945. From 1857 to 1887, the school's leader was given the title of "Principal".[2]
| Term | President | Background and accomplishments |
|---|---|---|
| First 1887–92 |  | George Edgar[3] |
| Second 1892–97 |  | Alvin Lewis |
| Third 1897–09 |  | Albert A. Murphree[3] |
| Fourth 1909–41 |  | Edward Conradi[3] |
| Fifth 1941–57 |  | Doak S. Campbell[3] |
| Interim 1957 | Albert B. Martin | |
| Sixth 1957–60 |  | Robert M. Strozier[3] |
| Interim 1960 |  | Milton W. Carothers |
| Seventh 1960–65 |  | Gordon W. Blackwell[3] Resigned as FSU President in 1965 after five years to become President of Furman University. |
| Eighth 1965–69 | _portrait.png) | John E. Champion[3] Resigned as FSU President at age 47 in 1969 after 4 years; returned to teaching Business for 15 years as Professor Emeritus. |
| Ninth 1969–76 |  | J. Stanley Marshall[3] Resigned in 1976 at age 53 after 7 years as FSU President; Security Company president for 10 years, then foundedJames Madison Institute. |
| Tenth 1976–91 |  | Bernard F. Sliger[3] Retired as FSU President after 15 years at age 67; remained a presence at FSU for many years. |
| Eleventh 1991–94 |  | Dale W. Lick was FSU President less than three years, leaving after losing support from faculty, legislators and influential alumni. |
| Twelfth 1994–03 |  | Talbot D'Alemberte[3] Retired as FSU President after nine years at ago 70. He continued to teach and litigate until his death in 2019. |
| Thirteenth 2003–10 |  | T. K. Wetherell[3] The first FSU graduate to serve as president, he resigned after seven years on January 31, 2010 due to complications from cancer. |
| Fourteenth 2010–14 | _(cropped).jpg) | Eric J. Barron[3] After four years at FSU he resigned on April 2, 2014 to accept the position of President at Pennsylvania State University. |
| Interim 2014 | When Eric Barron resigned as president on April 2, 2014, ProvostGarnett S. Stokes served as acting president until November 10, 2014, when John Thrasher became president. | |
| Fifteenth 2014–2021 |  | John E. Thrasher[3] retired at age 78 after almost seven years as president and returned to his old law firm. |
| Sixteenth 2021–Present | Richard D. McCullough, a graduate of theUniversity of Texas andJohns Hopkins University, is the university's 16th president. He assumed office Aug. 16, 2021, succeeding President ·John E. Thrasher. |
Presidents ofFlorida State University |
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