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Columbia Presidents

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Minouche Shafik, Baroness Shafik
Nemat Talaat Shafik, Baroness Shafik, DBE, HonFBA (born 13 August 1962), known as Minouche Shafik, is an Egyptian-born British-American economist who has been serving as the President and Vice Chance...
Lee Bollinger
Lee Carroll Bollinger (born April 30, 1946) is an American lawyer and educator who is serving as the 19th and current president of Columbia University, where he is also the Seth Low Professor of the ...
George Erik Rupp
George Erik Rupp (born September 22, 1942) is an American educator and theologian, who served successively as President of Rice University, of Columbia University, and of the International Rescue Com...
Michael Ira Sovern (1931 - 2020)
Michael Ira Sovern (December 1, 1931 – January 20, 2020) was the 17th president of Columbia University. Prior to his death, he served as the Chancellor Kent Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. He ...
William J. McGill (1922 - 1997)
William James McGill (27 February 1922 – 19 October 1997) was an American psychologist, author, and academic administrator. He was the 16th president of Columbia University and the 3rd chancellor of ...

Samuel Johnson 1754–1763
Myles Cooper 1763–1775
Benjamin Moore 1775–1776 acting, 1801–1810
George Clinton 1784–1787 Chancellor (Regents government); 1st Governor of New York and later 4th Vice President of the United States
William Samuel Johnson 1787–1800 signed the Constitution of the United States; served as United States Senator from Connecticut
Charles Henry Wharton 1801–1801
William Harris 1811–1829 shared authority with Provost John Mitchell Mason until 1816
William Alexander Due 1829–1842
Nathaniel Fish Moore 1842–1849
Charles King 1849–1863 presided over move to Madison Avenue campus
Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard 1864–1888
Henry Drisler 1867, 1888–1889 acting
Seth Low 1890–1901 presided over move to Morningside Heights campus
John Howard Van Amringe 1899 acting
Nicholas Murray Butler 1902–1945 Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Frank D. Fackenthal 1945–1948 acting
Dwight D. Eisenhower 1948–1953 on leave while Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, later 34th President of the United States
Grayson L. Kirk 1953–1968 resigned after 1968 protests
Andrew W. Cordier 1969–1970
William J. McGill 1970–1980
Michael I. Sovern 1980–1993
George Erik Rupp 1993–2002
Lee C. Bollinger 2002–2023 presided over construction of Manhattanville campus
Minouche Shafik, Baroness Shafik 2023–Present