President of the University of Michigan

See also: History of the University of Michigan

President of the University of Michigan
Incumbent Domenico Grasso (interim) since May 8, 2025
University of Michigan
Reports to	Board of Regents
Residence	President's House
Appointer	Board of Regents
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Michigan
Formation	1850 (1850)
First holder	Henry Philip Tappan
Salary	$1,014,000 [1]
Website	president.umich.edu

The president of the University of Michigan is a constitutional officer who serves as the principal executive officer of the University of Michigan. The president is chosen by the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan, as provided for in the Constitution of the State of Michigan. Fifteen people—fourteen men and one woman—have held the office, in addition to several others who have held it in either an acting or interim capacity.

The University of Michigan's current interim president is Domenico Grasso, former chancellor of the Dearborn campus. Grasso was appointed by the Board of Regents on May 8, 2025. ^[2]

History

The office was created by the Michigan Constitution of 1850, which also specified that the president was to be appointed by the Regents of the University of Michigan and preside at their meetings, but without a vote. ^[3] The precise wording has evolved through subsequent state constitutions, and as of November 2018 the office is defined by Article VIII, section 5 of the Constitution of 1963: ^[4]

The regents of the University of Michigan and their successors in office shall constitute a body corporate known as the Regents of the University of Michigan; ... Each board shall, as often as necessary, elect a president of the institution under its supervision. He shall be the principal executive officer of the institution, be ex-officio a member of the board without the right to vote and preside at meetings of the board. ...

Between the establishment of the University of Michigan in 1837 and 1850, the Board of Regents ran the university directly; by law, they were supposed to appoint a chancellor to administer the university, but they never did, and a rotating roster of professors carried out the day-to-day administrative duties instead. ^[5]

While the modern office was created in 1850, the University of Michigan itself now traces its date of founding to 1817, when its precursor, the University of Michigania, was founded. The only president of that institution, Rev. John Monteith, appears in the list of presidents but is not officially considered to have been a president of the University of Michigan. ^[6]

List of presidents

The current interim president is Domenico Grasso, former chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Of the previous presidents: ^[7]

• 1 had the office abolished
• 1 died in office
• 2 were removed by the regents
• 5 retired at the end of their careers
• 2 resigned to return to teaching or research
• 4 resigned to take posts at other institutions (Northwestern University, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Princeton University, Columbia University, and the University of Florida)

Presidents of the University of Michigan

No.	Portrait	Name	Term start	Term end	Notes
–	Rev. John Monteith		1817	1821	First and only president of the University of Michigania; 4 years in office
	Vacant		1821	1837	Office abolished in favor of a Board of Trustees
			1837	1852	Board of Regents replaces Board of Trustees
1	Henry Philip Tappan		September 1852	June 25, 1863	First president of the University of Michigan, [8] [9] removed by regents; [10] [11] 11 years in office
2	Erastus Otis Haven		June 25, 1863	August 18, 1869	[10] [12] [13] [14] Resigned to become President of Northwestern University; 6 years in office
acting	Henry S. Frieze		August 18, 1869	July 31, 1871	Following President Haven's resignation. [15]
3	James Burrill Angell		August 1, 1871	September 30, 1909	[16] Retired after 38 years in office (longest-serving president)
acting	Henry S. Frieze		1880	1882	While President Angell is U.S. Minister to China
			1887	1888	While President Angell is on the commission negotiating the Bayard-Chamberlain Treaty
acting	Harry Burns Hutchins		1897	1898	While President Angell is U.S. Minister to Turkey
interim			October 1, 1909	June 28, 1910	Following President Angell's retirement. [17]
4			June 28, 1910	June 30, 1920	[18] Was the first student to receive a degree from James B. Angell at Michigan; retired after 10 year in office [19]
5	Marion LeRoy Burton		July 1, 1920	February 18, 1925	[20] Died in office [21]
acting	Alfred Henry Lloyd		February 27, 1925	September 30, 1925	From February through September after the death of President Burton [22]
6	Clarence Cook Little		October 1, 1925	June 1929	[23] Resigned to conduct research at Bar Harbor, Maine; [24] 4 years in office
7	Alexander Grant Ruthven		October 5, 1929	August 31, 1951	[25] [26] Retired after 22 years in office [27]
8	Harlan Hatcher		September 1, 1951	December 31, 1967	[28] Retired after 17 years in office [29]
9	Robben Wright Fleming		January 1, 1968	December 31, 1978	[30] Resigned after 11 years in office; was chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting [31]
interim	Allan Frederick Smith		January 1, 1979	December 31, 1979	Following President Fleming's resignation.
10	Harold Tafler Shapiro		January 1, 1980	December 31, 1988	[32] Resigned to become president of Princeton University; [33] 8 years in office
interim	Robben Wright Fleming		January 4, 1988	August 31, 1988	Following President Shapiro's resignation. [34]
11	James Johnson Duderstadt		September 1, 1988	June 30, 1996	[35] Resigned [36] to return to teaching; 8 years in office
interim	Homer A. Neal		July 1, 1996	January 31, 1997	Following President Duderstadt's resignation. [37]
12	Lee Bollinger		February 1, 1997	December 31, 2001	[38] [39] Resigned [40] to become president of Columbia University; 5 years in office
interim	B. Joseph White		January 1, 2002	July 31, 2002	Following President Bollinger's resignation. [41]
13	Mary Sue Coleman		August 1, 2002	June 30, 2014	[42] Retired [43] after 12 years in office as the first female president of the University of Michigan
14	Mark Schlissel		July 1, 2014	January 15, 2022	[44] Removed [45] by regents
interim	Mary Sue Coleman		January 15, 2022	October 13, 2022	Following President Schlissel's termination. [45]
15	Santa Ono		October 14, 2022	May 6, 2025	[46] Resigned after becoming the sole finalist for the presidency of University of Florida; about two and a half years in office [47]
interim	Domenico Grasso		May 8, 2025	present	Following President Ono's resignation. [48]

Source: ( Bentley Historical Library 2004 ) harv error: no target: CITEREFBentley_Historical_Library2004 (help)

Notes

1. "Regents laud Ono's performance in first year". record.umich.edu/. University of Michigan Record. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
2. "Domenico Grasso becomes interim president of University of Michigan". The University Record. March 1, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
3. State of Michigan 1850, Article 13, section 8
4. State of Michigan 1963, Article VIII, section 5
5. Hinsdale 1906 , p. 37
6. Bentley Historical Library
7. "Past Presidents". University of Michigan.
8. "AUGUST MEETING, 1852". University of Michigan. August 12, 1852. p. 521. Whereupon, on motion of Hon. E. Farnsworth, Dr. Henry Philip Tappan of New York, was unanimously elected President of the University of Michigan.
9. "Michigan University" . Detroit Free Press . September 17, 1852. p. 2. We believe the following to be the present officers of the University. Professor Tappan having accepted the Presidency, tendered him by the Board of Regents, we may look for an early and thorough organization of the institution. Professor T., we learn, will be here in a few weeks:
10. "THE BOARD REGENTS" . Detroit Free Press . June 27, 1863. p. 2.
11. "JUNE MEETING, 1863". University of Michigan. June 25, 1863. p. 1054. Resolved, That Dr. Henry P. Tappan be and he is hereby removed from the offices and duties of President of the University of Michigan and Professor of Philosophy therein.
12. "JUNE MEETING, 1863". University of Michigan. June 25, 1863. p. 1055. Resolved, That Rev. Erastus 0. Haven be and he is hereby declared unanimously elected President of the University of Michigan, and that the Secretary of this Board forthwith communicate to Dr. Haven notice of his election and also of his appointment as Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature.
13. "Resignation of Dr. Haven as President of the University" . Detroit Free Press . June 25, 1869. p. 1.
14. "JUNE MEETING, 1869". University of Michigan. June 29, 1869. p. 335. The President announced that he had concluded to tender his resignation of the office of President. He did this with great regret, so far as the University is concerned, and only because he was desirous of engaging in another enterprise. IIe was willing to remain and conduct the correspondence of the University, and prepare the annual report, and do such other work for a few weeks, as might be desired. On motion the resignation of the President was referred to a special Committee, consisting of Regents Johnson, Walker, and Sill.
15. "SPECIAL MEETING". University of Michigan. August 18, 1869. p. 343. On motion the Board went into Executive Session, and after some time spent therein, on motion of Regent Willard, the Board proceeded to ballot for a President pro tempore of the University, with the following result: Prof. Frieze, received six; being the whole number of votes cast; whereupon Professor Henry S. Frieze was declared unanimously elected President pro tempore of the University of Michigan. On motion of Regent Gilbert, the President pro tempore and the Secretary were instructed to draw a University Warrant on the Treasurer, for President Haven's salary to Oct. 1, 1869.
16. "Michigan Board of Regents" . Detroit Free Press . February 8, 1871. p. 1. The Board of Regents unanimously elected James B. Angell, of Vermont University, President of the University, with a salary of $4,500 per year, expenses to Ann Arbor, and house rent, his term of service to commence on the 1st of next August.
17. "Dean Huthins Head of U. of M." . Detroit Free Press . August 5, 1909. p. 10. Dr. James Angell as president of the board of regents of the University of Michigan today made official announcement of the appointment of Dean Harry Hutchins of the law department as acting president of Michigan said he: The executive committee after conferring with the other members of the board of regents have appointed Dean Harry Hutchins acting president of the University of Michigan for the coming year from October 1.
18. "Hutchin is President" . Detroit Free Press . June 29, 1910. p. 1.
19. "Pres. Hutchins To Quit June 30 As U. of M. Head" . Detroit Free Press . March 13, 1919. p. 1.
20. "BURTON HEADS U. OF M. JULY 1" . Detroit Free Press . December 31, 1919. p. 2.
21. "BURTON DEATH PLUNGES STATE INTO SORROW" . Detroit Free Press . February 19, 1925. p. 1.
22. "LLOYD IS NAMED ACTING 'U' HEAD" . Detroit Free Press . February 27, 1925. p. 1.
23. "LITTLE TO TAKE POST OCTOBER 1" . Detroit Free Press . July 4, 1925. p. 2.
24. "DR. LITTLE TO RESIGN; 'U' REGENTS WILL ACCEPT" . Detroit Free Press . January 21, 1929. p. 1.
25. "RUTHVEN IS NAMED AS HEAD OF 'U': Regents Give To Him 'Powers, Duties' of President. APPOINTMENT IS TEMPORARY Board May Choose Little's Successor Friday" . Detroit Free Press . September 22, 1929. p. 1.
26. "AFTER THEY NAMED RUTHVEN" . Detroit Free Press . October 5, 1929. p. 1.
27. "AN ERA ENDS" . Detroit Free Press . August 10, 1951. p. 12.
28. "OSU Vice President Named Head of U-M" . Detroit Free Press . May 22, 1951. p. 17. Dr. Harlan Henthorne Hatcher, 52-year-old vice president of Ohio State University, has been selected as the eighth president of the University of Michigan. The action ended more than a year's search by the Board of Regents for a man qualified to replace Dr. Alexander G. Ruthven. Dr. Ruthven's retirement is scheduled to begin July 1. However, he will remain until Dr. Hatcher assumes his post Sept. 1.
29. Olmsted, Fred (April 16, 1967). "U-M's Retiring Harlan Hatcher Gives Some Answers" . Detroit Free Press . p. 21. These and other questions were put to Dr. Harlan H. Hatcher, who will retire as president of the University of Michigan at the end of this, the school's sesquicentennial year. Dr. Hatcher, eighth president of the University, will be succeeded Jan. 1 by Robben F. Fleming, chancellor of the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin.
30. Owens, Patrick J. (March 29, 1967). "New President Selected by U-M" . Detroit Free Press . p. 2.
31. Grant, William (September 15, 1978). "Fleming to leave U-M Jan. 1" . Detroit Free Press . p. 1.
32. "U-M names new president SHAPIRO" . Detroit Free Press . July 28, 1979. p. 11. Effective Jan. 1, 1980, the presidential appointment means a salary for Shapiro, making him the highest paid public official in Michigan. THE UNIVERSITY'S 10th president since 1817, the Canadian-born Shapiro succeeds Robben Fleming, who left the post last December to become chief executive of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Washington, D.C. Allan F. Smith, former dean of the U-M Law School, has served as interim president since Fleming's departure. Fleming had been president since 1968.
33. Smigielski, Lydia (December 5, 1987). "MSU braces for big crowd at graduation" . Detroit Free Press . p. 18. University of Michigan President Harold Shapiro, who will resign Jan. 1 to head Princeton University, will address the undergraduates at 10 a.m.
34. "U-M names interim president" . Detroit Free Press . September 18, 1987. p. 6.
35. "New Michigan president promises action on race" . Detroit Free Press . June 11, 1988. p. 11. Shapiro left U-M in December to become president of Princeton University. Duderstadt will assume the presidency of the university, one of the most prestigious in the nation, on Sept. 1, taking over from interim President Robben Fleming, who also was president in 1968-79.
36. George, Maryanne; McDirmid, Hugh; Davis, Matthew G. (September 29, 1995). "Duderstadt steps down, denies ouster" . Detroit Free Press . p. 1.
37. "Racial tension puts chill on U-M climate" . Detroit Free Press . May 20, 1996. p. 3.
38. "Bollinger will be 12th president of the U-M". The University Record. University of Michigan. November 19, 1996.
39. Hoover, Rusty (February 2, 1997). "Bollinger takes over as new U-M president" . Detroit Free Press . p. 11.
40. Green, Rachel (December 10, 2001). ""U" bids farewell to Bollinger". The Michigan Daily .
41. "B. Joseph White named interim president". University of Michigan. October 19, 2001.
42. "University of Michigan taps its 1st woman president" . Chicago Tribune . August 20, 2021.
43. Woodhouse, Kellie (April 18, 2013). "University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman to retire in 2014". The Ann Arbor News . Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
44. "Mark S. Schlissel named 14th president of the University of Michigan". University of Michigan. January 24, 2014.
45. Fitzgerald, Rick (January 15, 2022). "Regents remove Schlissel as president; Coleman appointed interim president". The University Record. University of Michigan.
46. "Regents appoint Santa J. Ono as University of Michigan's next president". University of Michigan. July 13, 2022.
47. Stark, Ian (May 5, 2025). "President of University of Michigan leaving post for same role at University of Florida". MSN.
48. Mastony, Colleen (May 8, 2025). "Domenico Grasso becomes interim president of University of Michigan". The University Record. Retrieved May 8, 2025.

References

• David Jesse (January 15, 2022), "Univ. of Michigan President Getting $852K Salary & Contract Extension", Detroit Free Press, retrieved January 15, 2022^{[ permanent dead link ]}
• "Univ. of Michigan President Getting $852K Salary & Contract Extension", Associated Press, September 20, 2018, retrieved October 10, 2018
• Bentley Historical Library (2018), Presidents of the University of Michigan , retrieved April 25, 2018
• Hinsdale, Burke A. (1906), Demmon, Isaac (ed.), History of the University of Michigan, University of Michigan, retrieved August 16, 2007
• Sahadi, Jeanne (November 20, 2006), Highest paid college presidents, CNNMoney.com, retrieved August 24, 2007
• State of Michigan (1850), Constitution of Michigan of 1850 , retrieved August 24, 2007
• State of Michigan (1963), Constitution of Michigan of 1963 , retrieved November 3, 2018