Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.) -- Presidents

Overview Asa S. Knowles (1909-1990) was President of the Associated Colleges of Upper New York (1946-1948), Vice-President of University Development at Cornell University (1948-1951), President of the University of Toledo (1951-1958), and President, later Chancellor, at Northeastern University (1959-1981). He was also on the board of directors of Shawmut Bank of Boston, N.A. from 1961 to 1989(?) and on the board of directors of Shawmut Corporation from 1965 to 1989(?). Knowles wrote a history of...

Overview Carl Stephens Ell was the second President of Northeastern University from 1940 to 1959. He was born in Staunton, Indiana on November 14, 1887, son of Jacob and Alice (Stephens) Ell. His education included an A.B. in 1909 from DePauw University, a S.B. in 1911 and M.S. in 1912 in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an Ed.M. in 1932 from Harvard University. He married Etta May Kinnear on June 10, 1913 and had one daughter, Dorothy. He began teaching at...

Overview Frank Palmer Speare (FPS), the first president of Northeastern University (NU), was a leading figure in the field of education. During his 43 years at NU, the institution developed from a small school to one of the nation's largest private universities. FPS was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts on March 31, 1869. He graduated from Bridgewater State Teachers' College in 1889. From 1896 to 1916 he served as the Educational Director of the Evening Institute of the Boston YMCA. In 1916 the...

Overview

Northeastern University's Inaugural Committee organizes and manages the induction ceremony of University presidents. There have been six presidential inaugurations in the history of Northeastern: 30 March 1917 - Frank Palmer Speare; 19 November 1940 - Carl Stephens Ell; 8 September 1959 - Asa Smallidge Knowles; 28 October 1975 - Kenneth Gilmore Ryder; 1 December 1989 - John Anthony Curry ; 17 January 1997 - Richard Middleton Freeland.

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Doris Oberg attended many university functions with her husband, Rudolf O. Oberg, and took pictures. Rudolf Oberg was a member of Northeastern University Class of 1926. He was director of Alumni Affairs at Northeastern University for over 25 years and worked there for nearly 50 years. Rudolf Oberg died in 1973, and Doris Oberg died in March 1993.

Overview John A. Curry (JAC), the fifth president of NU from 1989 to 1996, was involved with NU as an alumnus and administrator for 25 years before his inauguration. During JAC's tenure as president, NU faced drastic budget cuts due to a dramatic decline in enrollment. He streamlined operations by laying off nearly 200 employees, creating a leaner upper administration, freezing wages and hiring, merging programs, restructuring debt, and creating revenue-generating initiatives, which enabled him to...

Overview Carl Stephens Ell (CSE) was the second president of Northeastern University from 1940 to 1959. During his tenure as President, CSE was responsible for the accreditation of several of NU's academic programs and the rapid expansion of the physical plant. His other positions at NU included instructor at the Co-operative School of Engineering of the Boston YMCA (1910-1912), Head of the Department of Civil Engineering (1912-1917), Assistant Dean of the School of Engineering (1914-1917), Dean of...

Overview Asa Smallidge Knowles (ASK) was the third president of Northeastern University (NU) from 1959 to 1975. Under ASK's leadership, NU expanded its academic offerings, and all of its programs were accredited. Enrollment doubled, and the number of resident students increased dramatically. NU's physical plant grew to include five campuses, and its financial assets experienced significant growth. Between 1967 and 1972, NU faced various student protests concerning student rights, the Black Power...

Overview Kenneth Gilmore Ryder (KGR), the fourth president of Northeastern University (NU) from 1975 to 1989, began his career at NU in 1949 as an instructor of history and government. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1953 and to associate professor in 1956. In 1957, KGR gave up his teaching responsibilities to assume a succession of administrative positions: Dean of Administration (1958-1966), Vice President of University Administration (1967-1970), and Executive Vice President (1971-1975)....