Inaugural History
On October 18, 2007, Indiana University will inaugurate Michael A. McRobbie as its 18th president. The inauguration of a president is a seminal event in the life of a university. Consequently, IU faculty, staff, students, alumni, state officials, community members, and academic leaders from other institutions will come together to celebrate the investiture of the new president. In his inaugural address, President McRobbie will outline his vision for Indiana University.
Indiana University has had only 17 previous presidents in its 187-year history. The university was created by the pioneers who drafted Indiana’s first constitution in 1816. These early leaders mandated the General Assembly to “provide, by law, for a general system of education, ascending in a regular gradation, from township schools to a state university, wherein tuition shall be gratis, and equally open to all.” On January 20, 1820, Governor Jonathan Jennings signed a bill from the Indiana General Assembly authorizing the establishment of Indiana Seminary
David H. Maxwell, who had helped draft Indiana’s 1816 constitution, was elected the first president of the Board of Trustees of the fledgling institution. Thirteen students enrolled in 1824, the first year of classes. The only subjects taught were Latin and Greek. By 1828, Indiana Seminary had grown sufficiently in stature to earn the title Indiana College. A year later a Presbyterian minister, Andrew Wylie, was inaugurated as the first president of the College. Under Wylie the academic program was broadened to include mathematics, astronomy, Christianity, and moral and mental philosophy.
In 1838 the college was renamed Indiana University and was mandated by its new charter to establish departments of law and medicine. In 1852 it was designated “The University of the State” and was requested by the General Assembly to establish a department to prepare teachers for public schools.
After the setback of a disastrous fire in 1883 and the subsequent move to a new site, Dunn’s Woods, Indiana University began a dynamic era in 1885 under the presidency of David Starr Jordan, a professor of zoology. Jordan’s innovative ideas for curriculum, research, and professional education prepared the university for the demands of a new century.
During the presidency of William Lowe Bryan (1902–37), the Graduate School was established, as well as the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Music, Business, and Education; the Extension Division; and programs in nursing, military science, journalism, and library science.
Bryan’s successor, Herman B Wells, built on this academic foundation and led Indiana University in an era of remarkable growth. During a quarter century as president, from 1937 to 1962, Wells attracted scholars from around the world, creating in the heartland one of the nation’s most distinguished institutions. His leadership greatly enriched the international character and reputation of Indiana University.
During the administration of Elvis J. Stahr Jr. in the 1960s, the enrollment at Indiana University doubled. A comprehensive self-survey and the reorganization of the university structure resulted in greater latitude for the development of regional campuses. The Herron School of Art in Indianapolis became affiliated with the university, and schools were established in library science and social work.
Under the presidency of Joseph L. Sutton, from 1968 to 1971, the partnership of Indiana University and Purdue University was formalized at Indianapolis, joining the Medical Center and academic programs of the two universities to create a dynamic campus. These years also saw the continuation of an extensive building program that augmented the academic and cultural facilities at all campuses.
John W. Ryan became president in 1971. During the nearly 17 years of his administration, Indiana University expanded its role as a leader in higher education and research, and in the educational development of many countries. Two new schools were established, Continuing Studies and Public and Environmental Affairs. Service to the state was strengthened in 1974 when the university was formally organized as a system of eight campuses throughout the state—at Bloomington, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Gary, Kokomo, New Albany, Richmond, and South Bend.
Thomas Ehrlich became president in 1987. His priorities for the university included the preparation of a new academic agenda to enhance undergraduate and graduate education, teaching, and research throughout the university. Ehrlich stressed the unity and diversity of IU’s eight campuses with his concept of “One University with Eight Front Doors.” He implemented responsibility center management, brought into focus the “new majority” of older students, and enhanced the presence of minorities among students and faculty.
Myles Brand assumed the presidency of IU in 1994. He presided over a period of major growth at the university, including record student enrollments and national leadership in information technology and the life sciences, while maintaining the university's traditional strengths in the arts and humanities. Under his leadership, the university received the largest single private gift in its history, a $105 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to fund the Indiana Genomics Initiative. In 2001, IU was the leading public university in private-sector support, and the university attracted well over $300 million in federal grants and contracts.
Adam Herbert became president of Indiana University in 2003. He oversaw transformative initiatives in teaching, research, and public engagement. Under his direction, the faculty instituted a general education curriculum that brought more than $1.7 billion to Indiana in research grants and contracts. He oversaw the development of the Indiana Life Sciences Initiative and undertook IU’s first major administrative restructuring in 30 years. Throughout his presidency, Herbert placed special emphasis on fund raising, particularly in the area of student financial aid. He also enthusiastically promoted diversity in IU’s faculty, staff, and student body, challenging each IU campus to develop concrete diversity goals.
Michael McRobbie became Indiana University’s 18th president on July 1, 2007. As a senior administrator at IU for the past decade, McRobbie has focused his attention on increasing external funding for IU programs with the goal of doubling such funding by 2010. He is also committed to increasing diversity at IU and has established a goal of doubling the enrollment of under-represented minorities on the Bloomington campus by 2013–14. With his inauguration, the university looks forward to a new and exciting chapter in its history.
