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 William Abercrombie
Fourteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1902-1911
Guy Hubert Bailey
Twenty-sixth President of the University of Alabama, 2012
Stuart R. Bell
Twenty-eighth President of the University of Alabama, 2015-
Judith L. Bonner
Twenty-seventh President of the University of Alabama, 2012-2015
Oliver Cromwell Carmichael
Ninteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1953-1957
Henry DeLamar Clayton
Tenth President of the University of Alabama, 1886-1889
George Hutcheson Denny
Fifteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1911-1936, 1941-1942
Richard Clarke Foster
Sixteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1937-1941
John Morin Gallalee
Eighteenth President of the University of Alabama, 1948-1953
Landon Cabell Garland
Third President of the University of Alabama, 1855-1865
Josiah Gorgas
Eighth President of the University of Alabama, 1878-1879
Richard Channing Jones
Eleventh President of the University of Alabama, 1890-1897
Burwell Boykin Lewis
Ninth President of the University of Alabama, 1880-1885
Nathaniel Thomas Lupton
Sixth President of the University of Alabama, 1871-1874
Basil Manly
Second President of the University of Alabama, 1837-1855
F. David Mathews
Fifth President of the University of Alabama, 1969-1980
Matthew F. Maury
Twenty-first President of the University of Alabama, 1971
Raymond Ross Paty
Seventeenth President of the University of Alabama, 1942-1947
James Knox Powers
Twelfth President of the University of Alabama, 1897-1901
Frank Anthony Rose
Twentieth President of the University of Alabama, 1958-1969
E. Roger Sayers
Twenty-third President of the University of Alabama, 1988-1996
Carlos Green Smith
Seventh President of the University of Alabama, 1874-1878
William Russell Smith
Fourth President of the University of Alabama, 1870-1871
Andrew A. Sorensen
Twenty-fourth President of the University of Alabama, 1996-2002
Joab Langston Thomas
Twenty-second President of the University of Alabama, 1981-1988
Robert E. Witt
Twenty-fifth President of the University of Alabama, 2003-2012
Alva Woods
First President of the University of Alabama, 1831-1837
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-