Surrounded By Reality

Pesidents & Chancellors
John H. Lathrop 1849–1858 – Chancellor
Henry Barnard 1859–1860 – President
John W. Sterling 1860–1867 – Executive Officer
Paul A. Chadbourne 1867–1870 – President
John W. Twombly 1871–1874 – President
John A. Bascom 1874–1887 – President
Thomas C. Chamberlin 1887–1892 – President
Charles K. Adams 1892–1901 – President
Edward A. Birge * 1901–1903 – Acting President
Charles R. Van Hise 1903–1918 – President
Edward A. Birge 1918–1925 – President
Glenn Frank 1925–1937 – President
George C. Sellery 1937 – Acting President
Clarence A. Dykstra 1937–1945 – President
Edwin B. Fred 1945–1958 – President
Conrad A. Elvehjem 1958–1962 – President
Fred H. Harrington 1962–1970 – President – Administrative structure changed in 1964
Robben Fleming 1964–1967 – Chancellor – Title changed from provost in 1965
William Sewell 1967–1968 – Chancellor
Bryant Kearl 1968 – Acting Chancellor
Edwin Young 1968–1977 – Chancellor
Robert Clodius 1970 – Acting President
John Weaver 1970–1977 – President – Legislation merging the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin State University system was signed into law in October 1971. Weaver became president of the UW System.
Glenn S. Pound 1977 – Acting Chancellor
Irving Shain 1977–1986 – Chancellor
Bernard Cohen 1987 – Acting Chancellor
Donna E. Shalala 1988–1993 – Chancellor
David Ward 1993–2000 – Chancellor
John D. Wiley 2001–2008 – Chancellor
Carolyn “Biddy” Martin 2008–Present – Chancellor

From 1965 to 1971, UW–Madison was led by both a president and chancellor. Harrington was succeeded as president by Robert Clodius (acting) and John Weaver, who became president of the new University of Wisconsin System in 1971.