Presidents of EMU:
Adonijah Strong Welch, 1851-1865
David Porter Mayhew, 1865-1870
Charles FitzRoy Bellows, 1870-1871
Joseph Estabrook, 1871-1880
Malcolm MacVicar, 1880-1881
Daniel Putnam, 1880-1886 (non-contiguous)
Edwin Willits, 1883-1885
John Mayhelm Barry Sill, 1886-1893
Richard Gause Boone, 1893-1899
Elmer A. Lyman, 1900-1902
Lewis Henry Jones, 1903-1911
Charles McKenny, 1912-1933
John M. Munson, 1933-1948
Eugene B. Elliott, 1948-1965
Harold E. Sponberg, 1965-1974
James Brickley, 1974-1978
John W. Porter, 1979-1989
William E. Shelton, 1989-2000
Samuel A. Kirkpatrick, 2001-2004
Craig D. Willis, 2004-2005
John A. Fallon, III, 2005-2007
Donald M. Loppnow, 2007-2008
Susan W. Martin, 2008-2009
Adonijah Strong
Welch
1851-1865
Administrative
Goals: Welch wanted students
to be independent thinkers; to analyze
rather then memorize the lessons that
were being taught. He was concerned
with both the content as well as the
process of learning. His open-minded
educational philosophy, however, was
not the primary guiding principle in
his administrative practice. He held
strongly to prescribed rules both as
a teacher and an administrator.
Charles
Fitz Roy Bellows, an outstanding member
of the mathematics faculty and later an
acting principal for a year, noted that, "Welch's
idea of a school was one in which first
of all existed a condition of perfect
system and order."
Buildings:
Original Main Building, 1852
(Today's Welch Hall is named for Adonijah
Welch)
David Porter
Mayhew
1865-1870
Administrative
Goals: Mayhew was acclaimed
as a superior teacher who cared deeply
about his students, a man who was gentle
and considerate. He had much confusion
to overcome when he accepted the Board
of Education's offer to be the the
Michigan State Normal School's second
principal. He handled the challenge
well as a conciliator and consensus-builder.
Mayhew was described a few years later
in the Normal news as having made no
one his enemy and everyone his friend.
Buildings:
Conservatory 1864-1870
Charles Fitz
Roy Bellows
1870-1871
Administrative
Goals: Bellows served on the
mathematics faculty of Michigan State
Normal School for 24 years and then
served one year as principal. He was
a prolific writer of math textbooks,
among other scholarly activities. In
1902 he returned to Michigan State Normal
School under President Jones as a teacher
of mathematics.
Buildings: none
were constructed during Bellows' year as principal.
Joseph Estabrook
1871-1880
Administrative
Goals: Estabook was known,
trusted and liked by all. When, at
the age of 53, he was appointed the
principal of MSNC, he brought to the
task considerable professional
leadership experience. This led to
resolution of the growing conflict
between method and content and also
pointed way for future institutional
direction and development. During his
nine years as principal, he clearly
improved the quality of professional
training.
Buildings: none
were constructed during this period
Malcolm MacVicar
1880-1881
Administrative
Goals: MacVicar concentrated
on the quality of the teachers prepared,
instead of the number of teachers produced.
He insisted that all programs include
required courses in English as well
as academic areas of "special
promise." MacVicar
knew that, without the opportunity to practice
what was learned in the class, students
would not become successful teachers. He
also abolished the required and disliked
study hours to improve student satisfaction
with the school and the education they were
receiving. In the one year that he served
as the principal of Normal, no contribution
he made was more important than redirecting
the school away from its experiment over
the curriculum.
Buildings:
none
Daniel
Putnam
1880; 1881-83; 1885-86
Administrative
Goals: Putnam brought a rich
perspective to his assignment when
he served as acting principal on three
different occasions. For his last service
to the school, he was given the title
of vice principal, which he retained
throughout his years at Michigan State
Normal School. He was the first head
of the Training School, organizer and
the first head of the library, and the
first head of the Education Department.
Buildings: none
(Today's Putnam residence hall is named
for Daniel Putnam)
Edwin Willits
1883-1885
Administrative
Goals: Willits wielded substantial
influence that helped MSNC during his
time as principal. For example, University
of Michigan attempted to have a bill
enacted by the state Legislature that
would give UM the same authority as
MSNC to grant teaching certificates.
The bill was soundly defeated due to
Willits' persuasive abilities. Another
major accomplishment was to set into
motion the acquisition of needed
space. Although the new north and south
wings of Old Main were not approved
and constructed until 1887, the
credit for these additions belongs
to Willits.
Buildings: planning
for Old Main additions
John Mayhelm
Barry Sill
1886-1893
Administrative
Goals: Sill provided a vision
and leadership for transforming the
Normal School into a college, but ironically
was not interested in adopting the name "college."
He feared that the younger students
would begin not only to think of themselves
as college students but begin, in his
words,
"to ape college tricks and manners,
and duplicate college noise and disorder."
The school under Sill's leadership also
brought to fruition Willits' initiative for
expanding the Old Main building, growth in
library holdings and a major increase
in student enrollment.
Buildings:
North and the South wings were added to the
Old Main Building
(Today's Sill Hall is named for John Mayhelm
Barry Sill)
Richard Gause
Boone
1893-1899
Administrative
Goals: Boone sought to emphasize
scientific education beyond religious and
moral instruction. His primary contribution
to Eastern was the development of a
new curriculum that set the stage for
the present system of core classes with
majors. He also expanded the training
school.
Buildings:
StarkWeather 1897
Welch Hall 1897
(Today's Boone Hall is named for Richard
Gause Boone)
Elmer A. Lyman
1900-1902
Administrative Goals: During
his brief presidency, Lyman was instrumental
increasing the Normal School Executive Council.
This advisory group included the principals
from the other three teacher colleges in
Michigan, but the president of MSNC was
its chair.
Buildings:
None
Lewis Henry
Jones
1903-1911
Administrative
Goals: Jones spent much of
his administration facing concerns about
funding. Since there were now four teacher
colleges in Michigan, funding became
tighter. Jones hoped to build not only
a new science building, but also an
auditorium and a new training school.
He succeeded in building the new
science building. More importantly,
he continued to expand the curriculum
offered at MSNC.
Buildings:
Sherzer 1903
(Today's Jones residence hall is named for
Lewis Henry Jones)
Charles McKenny
1912-1933
Administrative
Goals: During McKenny’s
21-year administration, MSNC became the
largest teacher training school in the
world. As part of this trend, McKenny
expanded the laboratory teaching program
by building a laboratory high school
on campus (today's Roosevelt Hall).
He is well remembered for his deep interest
and concern for students and for constructing
several buildings to enhance their educational
experience.
Buildings:
Pease Auditorium, 1914
Boone Hall 1917-1918
Roosevelt High School 1924
Ford Hall 1930
Student Union 1930-1931 (McKenny Union is
named for Charles McKenny)
John
M. Munson
1933-1948
Administrative
Goals: Munson took control
of the school in the depths of the Depression
and guided it through the war years.
Although he was well-known for being
demanding, he was also known for integrity.
He cut salaries of the entire faculty
and staff, including his own, and he
was also able to invest money into educational
programs as well as building programs.
Buildings:
Briggs Hall 1937
Rackham 1938-1940
King Residence Hall 1939
Goodison Residence Hall 1939
Business and Finance 1939
Munson Residence Hall 1941
Hover Laboratory 1941
Pierce Hall 1948
Jones Hall 1948
Eugene B. Elliott
1948-1965
Administrative
Goals: Elliott’s presidency
spanned the turbulent, exciting baby boom
generation. The school was already experiencing
a rise in enrollment following World
War II. Elliott appreciated, however,
that enrollment would continue to climb
rapidly as the baby boom children reached
college age. He began preparing by adding
buildings to campus and bringing in
new technology such as the first computers
and closed circuit television. During his
administration, the University's name changed
twice: first to Eastern Michigan College
in 1956 and then to Eastern Michigan University
in 1958.
Buildings:
Brown Residence Hall 1949
Pine Grove Apartments I 1955
Goddard Residence Hall 1955
Bowen Field House 1955
Strong Hall 1956-1957
Pine Grove Apartments II 1957
Buell-Downing Residence Hall 1957-1958
Snow Health Center 1958
Quirk 1959
Best-Wise 1964
Warner Gymnasium 1964
Sill Hall 1965
Harold E. Sponberg
1965-1974
Administrative
Goals: Sponberg took office
during a period of significant national
unrest and incredible institutional
growth. Students and faculty alike experienced
the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam
War, a man on the moon, and Watergate.
Enrollment grew from 10,226 students
in 1965 to 12,850 in 1966 and continued to
climb. Building campaigns struggled
to keep up with the population boom. Meanwhile,
student activism deeply influenced campus
life, covering everything from poor
food and lack of parking to the Vietnam
War and racial equality on campus.
Buildings:
Phelps-Sellers 1966
Porter College of Education Building (current
name) 1967
(Today's Sponberg Theatre is named for H.
Sponberg)
James
Brickley
1974-1978
Administrative
Goals: Brickley came into office
in the wake of Sponberg’s departure
and faced a difficult period in the
life of the school. With the state
economic downturn, he had to work
much harder to acquire funding. At
the same time, Brickley negotiated
with three unions on campus: the American
Association of University Professors,
the American Federation of State, County,
and Municipal Employees, and the Ypsilanti
Police Officers. Brickley
was instrumental in establishing a
number of initiatives to address faculty,
staff and physical plant concerns.
Buildings:
Alexander Music Building 1978-1980
John W. Porter
1979-1989
Administrative
Goals: Porter's ten-year
administration comprised three phases dedicated
to the University's growth. During the
"revitalization" period, his policies reversed
enrollment decline, brought about accreditation
by the North Central Association of Colleges
and Secondary Schools, and revitalized
Intercollegiate Athletics. Next came a
period of "stabilization." The school now
served 20,000 students, and Porter decided
to reorganize the administration to meet
their needs. At the
end of his presidency, during the "expansion"
stage, Porter began to reach out to 40,000
alumni and friends of the University. Upon
retirement, he left behind a strategic
plan that he hoped would keep the school
on the right track.
Buildings:
Olds/Robb Recreation Center 1982
Cooper Building 1984
Coatings Research Building 1987
Geddes Town Hall School (brought to campus)
1987
A variety of remodeling on a number of older
buildings
(Today's Porter College of Education building
is named for John W. Porter)
William E.
Shelton
1989-2000
Administrative
Goals: Shelton arrived with
three goals. He wanted to build a better
relationship between higher education
and industry/professional groups, market
the university, and raise funds. He
hoped to establish Eastern Michigan
University as the nation's premier learning
university. During his
presidency, he succeeded in gaining
additional funds for the College of
Health and Human Services, built a new
library, and moved the College of Education
to larger, fully renovated quarters.
Buildings:
Pond and Lake House 1992-1993
Physical Plant 1995
Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Building 1997
Halle Library 1998
Marshall 2000
Samuel A. Kirkpatrick
2001-2004
Administrative
Goals: Kirkpatrick entered
the presidency at the turn of the millennium.
In his first year as president, Kirkpatrick
developed a comprehensive strategic
development plan and reorganized the
University’s leadership
by adding a vice president for Advancement
and a new chief information officer.
One of his first priorities was gaining
re-accreditation for the University.
Kirkpatrick sought to extend academics
on campus with the support of new graduate
and undergraduate programs, including
the introduction of a Ph.D. in clinical
psychology and a Ph.D. in technology.
Buildings:
The Village residence halls, 2001
University
House, 2003
Approval
for new student center, 2004
Craig D. Willis
2004-2005
Administrative
Goals: Dr. Willis
accepted a one-year interim appointment
at EMU following the departure of Samuel
A. Kirkpatrick. Previously, Dr. Willis
served as president of Lock Haven University
in Pennsylvania for 22 years.
Willis
pledged to bring the EMU community a strong
sense of openness, a steady hand at the
helm and an unwavering commitment to work
collectively to do everything possible
for the University.
Key
tasks Willis was asked to address included
advancing the University’s
position in Lansing, defining better internal
controls, resolving relationship issues,
ensuring high quality educational experiences
for all students and successfully completing
all collective bargaining agreements.
Dr. Willis'
extensive professional experience and
person-centered style served EMU well,
making him a popular leader among all
constituencies and setting the stage for
the next steps in the University's success.
Buildings:
Construction under way on new student center, 2004
John A. Fallon,
III
2005-2007
Administrative
Goals: Dr.
Fallon came to EMU
in 2005 from SUNY
Potsdam after a great
deal of experience
in higher education
ranging from Michigan,
Iowa, Indiana and
New York.
Upon
his arrival at EMU,
he set an ambitious
agenda for "Building
the Promise" of
EMU, including 12
goals for his
first year to
set the stage for
the future.
Buildings:
Student Center, opened
November 2006
Donald M. Loppnow
(interim)
2007-2008
Administrative
Goals: Dr. Loppnow was a long-time leader at Eastern, having served as professor of social work, leader of strategic planning, interim president, and provost. He was appointed interim president for a second time after the dismissal of President Fallon in 2007.
Key tasks Interim President Loppnow addressed included stabilizing the university's image and community relations, building trust and connections locally and regionally, and planning for future initiatives related to capital improvements and enhancements to academic affairs.
Buildings:
none
Susan W. Martin
2008-present
Administrative
Goals: Dr. Martin came to EMU as the first female president of the institution. Her top priorities from the start were to maintain excellent, accessible, affordable education. Enrollment began to improve during her tenure, and she made a number of key appointments to executive positions. She led efforts to improve Eastern's physical infrastructure - such as the Science Complex, Pray-Harrold, and other renovations - and to enhance academic programming and athletics success.
During President Martin's tenure, Eastern initiated its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, titled, "Invest. Inspire," with a goal of $50 million.
Buildings:
Headquarters for Police Department
Indoor Athletics Practice Facility
Science Complex
Major renovations to Pray-Harrold
