Presidents of Grinnell College

Bowen Bradley Buck Duke Drake Ferguson Gates Hawk Leggett Magoun Main Nollen Osgood Stauss Stevens Turner

George Magoun

1821 (Bath, ME)-1896 (Grinnell, IA)

Education:
Bath Academy
Bowdoin College, 1841
Andover Seminary, 1847
studied at Yale seminary

Career:
Principal of public school in Galena, IL and of academy in Platteville, WI, 1844-1846
Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church, Galena, IL, 1848
Pastor of Congregational churches, Davenport and Lyons, IA, 5 years each
Studied and practiced law in Burlington, 1851-1855
President of Iowa College, 1865-1884
Professor of Mental and Moral Science, Iowa College, 1884-1890

Samuel Jay Buck
(Acting President)
1835 (Russia, NY)-1918 (Grinnell, IA)

Education:
Oberlin College, 1858
Oberlin College Theological Seminary, 1862

Career:
Principal of academy, Orwell, OH, 1862-1864
Principal, Preparatory & English Department, Iowa College, 1864-1869
Professor of Mathematics & Natural Philosophy, Iowa College, 1869-1905
Acting President, Iowa College, 1884-87

Also county superintendent of schools, county surveyor, and financial agent for the college

George A. Gates
1851 (Topsham, VT)-1912 (Nashville, TN)

Education:
St. Johnsbury Academy
Dartmouth College, 1873
Andover Seminary, 1880
Study and travel abroad, 1878-1879

Career:
Principal of academy, Morrisville, VT, 1873-1875
Pastor, Congregational Church in Upper Montclair, NJ, 1880-1887
President, Iowa College, 1887-1900
Pastor, Cheyenne, WY, 1900-1901
President, Pomona College, 1902-1909

Dan Freeman Bradley
1857 (Bangkok, Siam) - 1939 (Cleveland, OH)

Education:
Oberlin College
Oberlin Theological Seminary, 1889

Career:
Pastor, Congregational Church in Grand Rapids, MI
Acting President, Yankton College, SD, 1889-1892
President, Iowa College, 1902-1905
Pastor, Congregational Church, Cleveland, OH, 1905-1937

John Hanson Thomas Main
1859 (Toledo, OH)-1931 (Grinnell, IA)

Education:
Moore's Hill College, A.B., 1880, A.M., 1883
Johns Hopkins University, Ph.D, 1892
studied at Oberlin College, Iowa State University, Harvard University, and Grinnell College

Career:
Professor of Greek at Moore's Hill College, Women's College of Baltimore, and Johns Hopkins University
Professor of Greek, Grinnell College, 1892-1916
Acting President Grinnell College, 1900-1902
Dean of the Faculty, Grinnell College, 1902-1906
President Grinnell College, 1906-1931
Trustee, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Member of American Relief Commission to the Near East, ca. 1918
Mason

John Scholte Nollen
1866 (Pella, IA) - 1952 (Des Moines, IA)

Education:
Central College, Pella, IA, 1883-1885
State University of Iowa, B.A., 1888
University of Zurich, 1890-1891
University of Paris & College de France, 1892-1893
University of Leipzig, Ph.D., 1893
University of Berlin, 1900-01
State University of Iowa, LL.D, 1910

Career:
Instructor Science & Math, Central College Academy, 1885-1887
Tutor, Cham, Switzerland, 1888-1890
Professor of Modern Languages, Grinnell College, 1893-1903
Professor of German, Indiana University, 1903-1907
President, Lake Forest College, 1907-1918
General Secretary, YMCA war work in Italy, 1918-1920
Commissioner, American Red Cross Commission to Europe, 1920
Director, Grinnell State Bank, 1926-??
Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Modern Languages, Grinnell College, 1920-1931
President of Grinnell College, 1931-1940
President Emeritus, 1940-1952
Kiwanis

Samuel Nowell Stevens
1900 (Eastport, MD) - 1966

Education:
Wesleyan University (CT), 1921
Garrett Institute, B.D., 1923
Northwestern University, Ph.D, 1925
Carleton College, LL.D., 1948

Career:
Instructor in Psychology, Northwestern University, 1924-1934
Dean of the University College, Northwestern University, 1934-1940
U.S. Army during World War I
President, Grinnell College, 1940-1954
Stevens, Thurow & Associates (personnel management consultants), Chicago, IL, 1954-?

Rupert A. Hawk
(Acting President)
1903 (Cottageville, WV) - 1959 (Grinnell, IA)

Education:
Grinnell College, BA, 1924
Drake University Law School, 1928-1929
State University of Iowa, Iowa City (Commerce and law), MA, 1932
John Marshall Law School, D.Jurisprudence, 1957
Columbia University (Education), 1945

Career:
Teacher, Grinnell public schools, 1923-1947
Superintendent of Schools, Grinnell, 1937-1947
Instructor of Speech, Grinnell College, 1929-1932
Assistant Professor of Education, Grinnell College, 1942-1946
Associate Professor of Economics & Business, Grinnell College, 1947-1956
Treasurer, Grinnell College, 1948-1956
Acting President, Grinnell College, 1954-1955
Lannom Manufacturing Co, Grinnell, General Counsel, 1929-1952
Mason, Kiwanis, Elks, American Bar Association

Howard Rothmann Bowen
1908 (Spokane, WA) - 1989 (Claremont, CA)

Education:
Washington State University, BA, MA
State University of Iowa, Ph.D, 1935 (Economics)
Cambridge University and London School of Economics, 1937-1938

Career:
Instructor, Assistant Professor, and Associate Professor of Economics, State University of Iowa, 1935-1942
US Department of Commerce (chief of business structure studies), 1942-1944Chief Economist,
Joint Congressional Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation, 1944-1945Economist, Irving Trust Company, New York, 1945-1947
Dean, College of Commerce, and Professor of Economics, University of Illinois, 1947-1952
Professor of Economics, Williams College, 1952-1955
President, Grinnell College, 1955-1964
President, University of Iowa, 1964-1969
Professor of Economics, Claremont Graduate School, 1969-1970
President and Chancellor, Claremont University Center, 1970-1974
R. Stanton Avery Professor of Economics & Education, Claremont Graduate School, 1974-1984

Also consultant for federal and state commissions and agencies; author of 14 books and many articles; recipient of numerous awards and honors.

James Stauss
(Acting President)

1914 (Otterville, IA) - 1975 (Colorado Springs, CO)

Education:
Grinnell College, BA, 1936
Iowa State University, MS (Economics), 1937
University of Wisconsin, Ph.D, 1945

Career:
Faculty member at Texas A&M, University of Wisconsin, and University of Tennessee
Instructor of Economics, Grinnell College, 1946-1969
Dean, Grinnell College, 1960-1969
Acting President, Grinnell College, 1964-1965
Dean, Colorado College, 1969-75

Glenn Leggett
1918 (Ashtabula, OH) - 2003 (Grinnell, IA)

Education:
*Middlebury College BA 1940
Ohio State University Ph.D 1949

Career:
U.S. Navy, World War II
Taught at Ohio State University and M.I.T.
Taught at University of Washington 1952-?
Special Assistant to President, University of Washington
Vice Provost, University of Washington 1960-63
Provost, University of Washington 1963-65
President, Grinnell College 1965-74
Vice President for Corporate Communications, Deere & Co., Moline 1975-?

Author of numerous books

A. Richard Turner
1932 (New Bedford, MA) -

Education:
Princeton University, BA, 1955; MA, Ph.D, 1959
University of Rome, 1955-1956

Career:
Instructor of Art, University of Michigan, 1959-1960
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Art, Princeton University, 1960-1968
Professor of Art, Middlebury College, 1968-1979
President, Grinnell College, 1975-1979
Director, New York University Institute of Fine Arts, 1979-Author of books and numerous articles on art history.

George Drake
1934 (Springfield, MO) -

Education:
Grinnell College, 1956
University of Paris, 1956-1957
Oxford University (Rhodes scholar), 1959-1962
University of Chicago, B.D., 1962; M.A., 1963; PhD, 1965
Colorado College, 1980; Ripon College, 1982, LL.D.
Illinois College, 1985; Ursinus College, 1988, L.H.D.

Career:
Instructor of History, Grinnell College, 1960-1961
Professor of History, Colorado College, 1964-1979
Dean, Colorado College, 1969-1973
President, Grinnell College, 1979-1991
Peace Corps, South Africa, 1991-1993
Professor of History, Grinnell College, 1979-2004
Professor Emeritas of History, President Emeritus 2004-

Pamela Ferguson
1943 (Berwyn, IL) - 2004 (Des Moines, IA)

Education:
Wellesley College, BA, 1965
University of Chicago, M.S. 1966; Ph.D., 1969 (Mathematics)

Career:
Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Northwestern University, 1969-1970
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Mathematics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, 1970-1991
Associate Provost & Dean of the Graduate School, University of Miami, Coral Gables, 1987-1991
President, Grinnell College, 1991-97
Professor of Mathematics, Grinnell College, 1997-2004

Charles Duke
(Acting President)

1940 (Canton, NC) -

Education:
North Carolina State University, BS, 1962
Iowa State University, Ph.D, 1967

Career:
AEC Postdoctoral Fellow, Iowa State University 1967-68
Guest Physicist, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark 1968-69
Asst./Assoc./Full Professor of Physics, Grinnell College 1969-
Summer faculty program, Lawrence Livermore Lab 1970
Summer faculty program, Ames Laboratory 1971, 1972
Guest Professor, Mainz University, Mainz, Germany 1974-75
Guest Professor, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia 1983
Dean of the Faculty, Grinnell College 1987-92
Dean of the College, Grinnell College 1992-97
Interim President, Grinnell College Jan.-Aug. 1998
Professor of Physics, Grinnell College, 1998-

Author of numerous articles in physics and recipient of numerous research grants.

Russell K. Osgood

1947 (Fairborn, OH) -

Education:
Yale College, BA, 1969
Yale Law School, J.D., 1974

Career:
Surface Line Officer, United States Navy, 1969-1971
Associate Attorney, Hill & Barlow, 1974-1978
Associate Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law, 1978-1980
Associate Professor, Professor of Law, Cornell University, 1980-1988
Dean and Professor of Law, Cornell University, 1988-1998
President of Grinnell College, 1998-

Author of numerous legal books and articles in law journals.