List of presidents of the University of Houston

The office of the President of the University of Houston, currently held by Renu Khator, was created with the founding of the University of Houston (then known as Houston Junior College) in 1927 as the chief executive officer of the school. From 1927 until 1945 when UH separated from Houston Independent School District, the university's president also held the position of Superintendent of Schools of that school district. In 1956, the duties of president were divided into two positions. The position of Chancellor was created to fulfill past presidential duties regarding external affairs, while the president remained responsible for internal affairs of the university. This leadership structure lasted until 1961, when the university became a state-run, public institution. The duties of the chancellor and president became re-consolidated back into the sole position of president.

See also: List of chancellors of the University of Houston System

The Ezekiel W. Cullen Building at the University of Houston has housed the President's office since 1950.

Since 1997, the President of the University of Houston has also held the position of Chancellor of the University of Houston System, thus making it a dual-office. Note: The defunct Chancellor of the University of Houston position should not be confused with the current position of Chancellor of the University of Houston System. While one position refers to a leader of the single flagship institution of the University of Houston System, the latter refers to the leader of the entire University of Houston System consisting of several other universities besides the flagship institution.

No.	Image	Name	Tenure	Life	Notes & Events
1		Edison E. Oberholtzer	1927–1950	1880–1954	University of Houston was founded, permanent location was created, enrollment increased from under 500 to over 13,000
2		Walter William Kemmerer	1950–1953	1903–1993	Was interim president in 1950
–		Charles Flemming McElhinney	1953–1954	1907–1978	Interim
3		A.D. Bruce	1954–1956	1894–1969	Served as Chancellor of the University of Houston when that position was created until 1961, helped to establish UH as a state school
4		Clanton Ware Williams	1956–1961	1904–1975	Served as President after A.D. Bruce became Chancellor
5		Philip Guthrie Hoffman	1961–1977	1915–2008	First chancellor of the University of Houston System
6		Barry Munitz	1977–1982	1941—
–		Hugh Walker	1982–1983	1935–2005	Interim
7		Richard L. Van Horn	1983–1989	1932—
–		George W. Magner	1989–1990	1927–2005	Interim. Ended the tradition of a live cougar Shasta mascot
8		Marguerite Ross Barnett	1990–1992	1942–1992	First female and first black president Took a leave of absence after being diagnosed with cancer
9		James H. Pickering	1992–1995	1938—	Was originally interim president after Barnett stepped down
10		Glenn Allan Goerke	1995–1997	1931–2015
11		Arthur K. Smith	1997–2003	1937—	First person to hold UH Presidency and UHS Chancellor position simultaneously
12		Jay Gogue	2003–2007	1947—
–		John M. Rudley	2007	1947—	Interim. Was President of Texas Southern University from 2008-2016; currently President Emeritus at Texas Southern
13		Renu Khator	2008–present	1955—	First foreign-born president, allowed for re-establishment of live Shasta mascot[1]

References

1. De Leon, Samantha. "Not If, but When – Renu Khator and the Evolution of the University of Houston", Houston History, April 27, 2023. Accessed February 4, 2024. "These recent milestones are owed largely to Dr. Renu Khator, who became president of the University of Houston and chancellor of the University of Houston System in 2008, making her the first female chancellor in Texas and the first Indian immigrant to lead a comprehensive U.S. research university."