List of presidents of the University of Illinois System

President of the University of Illinois System
Incumbent Timothy L. Killeen since May 18, 2015 [1]
Appointer	Board of Trustees
Term length	No term limit
Inaugural holder	John Milton Gregory
Formation	March 12, 1867 (158 years ago) (1867-03-12)
Salary	US$935,105.28 as of August 2025 [update] [2]
Website	www.uillinois.edu/president/

The president of the University of Illinois System, a system of public universities in Illinois, is the chief executive officer and a member of the faculty of each of its colleges, schools, institutes, and divisions. ^[3] The president is elected by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and is responsible to them for the operation of the system. The president prepares budgets for presentation to the board, recommends persons to the board for appointment to university positions, and is responsible for the enforcement of the rules and regulations of the universities. On recommendation of each university and by authority of the trustees, the president issues diplomas conferring degrees. ^[3] Following the establishment of the office in 1867, John Milton Gregory served as the first president, and there have been 20 presidents in total. ^[4] The current president is Timothy L. Killeen, who has held the position since May 18,2015. ^{[update] [1]}

On March 12, 1867, during the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of Illinois Industrial University (the original name of the university system), the trustees established the office of the president. ^[5] The original charter designated the chief executive officer of the university as "Regent" but this title was changed to "President" in 1894 following the end of Thomas Jonathan Burrill's term. ^{[6] [7]}

Up until 1967, the president also served as the principal administrator of the original Urbana-Champaign campus. In June 1966, at the recommendation of president David D. Henry, the board switched to a chancellorship system of administration. ^[8] The change established a new administrative office, the "Chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign", and renamed the two administrators of the Chicago campuses, vice president of the University of Illinois at the Medical Center and vice president of the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, to chancellor. The two Chicago campuses were later consolidated in 1982 to form the University of Illinois Chicago. ^[9] The chancellors of each campus are appointed by the board following nomination by the president and perform duties that are assigned by the president. ^[3]

List of presidents

List of presidents

Presidency [a]		President [4]		Notes
1	1867–1880		John Milton Gregory	Gregory was previously the president of Kalamazoo College. [11]
2	1880–1891		Selim Peabody
3	1891–1894		Thomas Jonathan Burrill	Burrill served as acting regent [12] (and was the last to use the title Regent [6] ).
4	1894–1904		Andrew S. Draper	Draper resigned to become the first Commissioner of Education of the State of New York. [13]
5	1904–1920		Edmund J. James	James was previously the president of Northwestern University. [14]
6	1920–1930		David Kinley	Kinley was previously the president of the American Economic Association. [15]
7	1930–1933		Harry Woodburn Chase	Chase was previously the president of the University of North Carolina and resigned to become the president of New York University. [16]
8	1933–1934		Arthur H. Daniels	Daniels served as acting president. [17]
9	1934–1946		Arthur Cutts Willard
10	1946–1953		George D. Stoddard	Stoddard was previously the president of the University of the State of New York. [18] The University of Illinois Board of Trustees removed him through a vote of no confidence. [19]
11	1953–1955		Lloyd Morey	Morey was an alumnus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and worked in the administration throughout and after his studies. [20] He served the first year of his tenure as acting president. [21]
12	1955–1971		David D. Henry	Henry was previously the president of Wayne State University and executive vice chancellor of New York University. [22]
13	1971–1979		John E. Corbally	Corbally was previously the chancellor of Syracuse University and resigned to become the president of the MacArthur Foundation. [23]
14	1979–1995		Stanley O. Ikenberry	Ikenberry resigned to become the president of the American Council on Education. [24]
15	1995–2005		James J. Stukel	Stuckel is an alumnus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. [25]
16	2005–2009		B. Joseph White	White resigned as a result of a clout scandal. [26]
17	2010		Stanley O. Ikenberry	Ikenberry's title during this period was "interim president-designate". [27]
18	2010–2012		Michael Hogan	Hogan was previously the president of the University of Connecticut [28] and resigned amid controversy over his leadership. [29]
19	2012–2015		Robert A. Easter	Easter is an alumnus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and led a 40-year career as a faculty member and administrator of the campus. [30]
20	2015–present		Timothy L. Killeen

Timeline of presidencies

Gregory (1867–1880)

Peabody (1880–1891)

Burrill * (1891–1894)

Draper (1894–1904)

James (1904–1920)

Kinley (1920–1930)

Chase (1930–1933)

Daniels * (1933–1934)

Willard (1934–1946)

Stoddard (1946–1953)

Morey (1953–1954, 1954–1955)

Henry (1955–1971)

Corbally (1971–1979)

Ikenberry (1979–1995, 2010)

Stukel (1995–2005)

White (2005–2009)

Hogan (2010–2012)

Easter (2012–2015)

Killeen (2015–)

│

1867

│

1877

│

1887

│

1897

│

1907

│

1917

│

1927

│

1937

│

1947

│

1957

│

1967

│

1977

│

1987

│

1997

│

2007

│

2017

Presidents of the University of Illinois System (1867–present)
*Interim/acting president

See also

• List of chancellors of the University of Illinois Chicago
• List of chancellors of the University of Illinois Springfield
• List of chancellors of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Notes

1. The University of Illinois System numbers its presidents according to uninterrupted periods served by the same person, including acting and interim presidents. For example, Stanley Ikenberry was the 14th and 17th president, despite being "interim president-designate" during his second term. The university system numbers Michael Hogan as the 18th president. ^[10] Serving as acting president for one year before his official term, Lloyd Morey is numbered simply as the 11th president.

References

1. "Killeen 2015–Present". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved September 27, 2024.
2. Board of Trustees - University of Illinois System: Academic Personnel Supplement 2025-2026 (Report). University of Illinois System. August 18, 2025. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
3. Board of Trustees (November 12, 2020). University of Illinois Statutes (PDF) (Report). University of Illinois System. pp. 1–2. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
4. "University of Illinois Presidential History". President's Office. University of Illinois System. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
5. Reports of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (PDF) (Report). Vol. 1. Baker, Bailhache & Co., Printers. March 12, 1867. pp. 12–18. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
6. Pillsbury, William L., ed. (August 1, 1894). Reports of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (PDF) (Report). Vol. 17. Ed. F. Hartmann, State Printer. p. 269. Retrieved December 29, 2020. The following preamble and resolution were adopted: Whereas, Our original charter designated the chief executive officer of the University as the 'regent,' but since that time the duties of that office have been materially changed, and the title of 'president' has come to be recognized in the law and seems more appropriate, and the present time seems opportune for making the change, therefore, be it Resolved, That hereafter the title of the office be that of 'president,' and that the legislature be asked at the next session to confirm this action by a formal enactment.
7. "Draper 1894-1904". University of Illinois System. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
8. Janata, Anthony J., ed. (June 15, 1966). Reports of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, 1964–66 (PDF) (Report). Vol. 53. University of Illinois Press. pp. 1193–94. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
9. "University of Illinois at Chicago: History". UIC Archives. UIC Library. 2016. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
10. "Hogan 2010–2012". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
11. "Presidents of Kalamazoo College". Kalamazoo College . November 27, 2017. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
12. "Burrill 1891–1894". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
13. Fine, Benjamin (May 5, 1956). "Eighth State Commissioner, Youngest in the Office, Seeks Public Support Chancellor Gives 'Charge' Veto of Long Island College". The New York Times . Retrieved May 25, 2021.
14. Solberg, Winton U. (2009). "A Struggle for Control and a Moral Scandal: President Edmund J. James and the Powers of the President at the University of Illinois, 1911–14". History of Education Quarterly. 49 (1): 39–67. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5959.2009.01167.x. S2CID   145470104.
15. "Past Presidents". American Economic Association . Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
16. Wilson, Louis R. (2016) [article written in 1979]. "Chase, Harry Woodburn". In Powell, William S. (ed.). Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. Vol. 1. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN   978-1-4696-2901-8. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
17. "Daniels 1933–1934". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
18. "George Stoddard Dies at 84; Educator Led 4 Universities". The New York Times . December 29, 1981. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
19. "Stoddard 1946–1953". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
20. "Lloyd Morey". The Accounting Hall of Fame. American Accounting Association. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
21. "Morey 1954–1955". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
22. "Henry 1955–1971". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
23. Marc, David (2007). "Corbally, John Edward Jr.". The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. Charles Scribner's Sons . Retrieved May 25, 2021.
24. "Ikenberry 1979–1995". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved August 1, 2023.
25. "Stukel 1995–2005". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
26. Cohen, Jodi S.; St. Clair, Stacy; Malone, Tara (September 24, 2009). "University of Illinois President B. Joseph White resigns". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
27. "Ikenberry 2010". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved July 27, 2023.
28. "History". Office of the President. University of Connecticut. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
29. Kacich, Tom. "UPDATED: UI's Hogan Resigns; Easter Is President-designate". The News-Gazette . Retrieved December 26, 2025.
30. "Easter 2012–2015". President's Office. University of Illinois System . Retrieved July 27, 2023.