Presidents of the University of Alabama
This page contains an image gallery of all the Presidents of the University of Alabama, followed by a chronological list, which also includes acting and interim presidents.
The images are part of the UA Libraries digital collection University of Alabama Presidential Portraits. Some are of paintings housed at W. S. Hoole Special Collections Library (with the exception of the painting of George Denny, which hangs at Gorgas Library). The photograph portraits were provided by the President’s Office.
Ownership of all digital content in the gallery is retained by the institution, and reproduction is prohibited without permission. Please contact the W. S. Hoole Special Collections Library about reuse of these materials.
Gallery (Alphabetical)
![John Abercrombie](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_14jabercrombie-e1484237872731.jpg)
John William Abercrombie
Fourteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1902-1911![Guy Bailey](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_26gbailey-e1484238285608.jpg)
Guy Hubert Bailey
Twenty-sixth President of the University of Alabama, 2012![Stuart Bell](https://www.lib.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Stuart-Bell-002.png)
Stuart R. Bell
Twenty-eighth President of the University of Alabama, 2015-![Judith Bonner](https://www.lib.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Bonner-Photo.jpg)
Judith L. Bonner
Twenty-seventh President of the University of Alabama, 2012-2015![oliver Carmichael](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_19ocarmichael-e1484238487295.jpg)
Oliver Cromwell Carmichael
Ninteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1953-1957![Henry Clayton](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_10hclayton-e1484238021770.jpg)
Henry DeLamar Clayton
Tenth President of the University of Alabama, 1886-1889![George Denny](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_15gdenny-e1484237845800.jpg)
George Hutcheson Denny
Fifteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1911-1936, 1941-1942![Richard Foster](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_16rfoster-e1484237820662.jpg)
Richard Clarke Foster
Sixteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1937-1941![John Gallalee](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_18jgallalee-e1484237754294.jpg)
John Morin Gallalee
Eighteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1948-1953![Landon Garland](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_03lgarland-e1484238220786.jpg)
Landon Cabell Garland
Third President of the University of Alabama, 1855-1865![Josiah Gorgas](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_08jgorgas-e1484238056432.jpg)
Josiah Gorgas
Eighth President of the University of Alabama, 1878-1879![Richard Jones](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_11rjones-e1484237995630.jpg)
Richard Channing Jones
Eleventh President of the University of Alabama, 1890-1897![Burwell Lewis](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_09blewis-e1484238081435.jpg)
Burwell Boykin Lewis
Ninth President of the University of Alabama, 1880-1885![Nathaniel Lupton](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_06nlupton-e1484238139785.jpg)
Nathaniel Thomas Lupton
Sixth President of the University of Alabama, 1871-1874![Basil Manly](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_02bmanly-e1484238245877.jpg)
Basil Manly
Second President of the University of Alabama, 1837-1855![David Mathews](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_21dmathews-e1484238418844.jpg)
F. David Mathews
Fifth President of the University of Alabama, 1969-1980![Matthew Maury](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_05mmaury-e1484238161775.jpg)
Matthew F. Maury
Twenty-first President of the University of Alabama, 1971![Raymond Paty](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_17rpaty-e1484237786417.jpg)
Raymond Ross Paty
Seventeenth President of the University of Alabama, 1942-1947![James Powers](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_12jpowers-e1484237967519.jpg)
James Knox Powers
Twelfth President of the University of Alabama, 1897-1901![Frank Rose](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_20frose-e1484238460633.jpg)
Frank Anthony Rose
Twentieth President of the University of Alabama, 1958-1969![Roger Sayers](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_23esayers-e1484238354286.jpg)
E. Roger Sayers
Twenty-third President of the University of Alabama, 1988-1996![Carlos Smith](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_07csmith-e1484238112906.jpg)
Carlos Green Smith
Seventh President of the University of Alabama, 1874-1878![William Smith](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_04wsmith-e1484238187165.jpg)
William Russell Smith
Fourth President of the University of Alabama, 1870-1871![Andrew Sorensen](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_24asorensen-e1484238332145.jpg)
Andrew A. Sorensen
Twenty-fourth President of the University of Alabama, 1996-2002![Joab Thomas](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_22jthomas-e1484238389140.jpg)
Joab Langston Thomas
Twenty-second President of the University of Alabama, 1981-1988![Robert Witt](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_25rwitt-e1484238312140.jpg)
Robert E. Witt
Twenty-fifth President of the University of Alabama, 2003-2012![Alva Woods](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_01awoods-e1484238264230.jpg)
Alva Woods
First President of the University of Alabama, 1831-1837![William Wyman](/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ua_presidents_13wwyman-e1484237922635.jpg)
William Stokes Wyman
Thirteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1901-1902List (Chronological)
- Alva Woods, 1831-1837
- Basil Manly, 1837-1855
- Landon Cabell Garland, 1855-1865
(Reconstruction, 1865-1870) - William Russell Smith, 1870-1871
- Matthew F. Maury, 1871
- Nathaniel Thomas Lupton, 1871-1874
- Carlos Green Smith, 1874-1878
- Josiah Gorgas, 1878-1879
William Stokes Wyman (Acting), 1879-1880 - Burwell Boykin Lewis, 1880-1885
William Stokes Wyman (Acting), 1885-1886 - Henry DeLamar Clayton, 1886-1889
William Stokes Wyman (Acting), 1889-1890 - Richard Channing Jones, 1890-1897
- James Knox Powers, 1897-1901
- William Stokes Wyman, 1901-1902
- John William Abercrombie, 1902-1911
- George Hutcheson Denny, 1911-1936
- Richard Clarke Foster, 1937-1941
George Hutcheson Denny, 1941-1942 - Raymond Ross Paty, 1942-1947
Ralph E. Adams (Acting), 1947-1948 - John Morin Gallalee, 1948-1953
Lee Bidgood (Acting), 1953 - Oliver Cromwell Carmichael, 1953-1957
James H. Newman (Acting), 1957-1958 - Frank Anthony Rose, 1958-1969
- F. David Mathews*, 1969-1980
Richard Ashley Thigpen (Acting), 1975-1977
Howard B. Gundy (Acting), 1980-1981 - Joab Langston Thomas, 1981-1988
- E. Roger Sayers, 1988-1996
- Andrew A. Sorensen, 1996-2002
J. Barry Mason (Interim), 2002-2003 - Robert E. Witt, 2003-2012
- Guy Hubert Bailey, 2012
- Judith L. Bonner, 2012-2015
- Stuart R. Bell, 2015-