List of Ohio Wesleyan University presidents

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This article lists the current and past presidents of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. The president of Ohio Wesleyan University is the institution's chief administrator and ex officio chair of the Board of Trustees. He is appointed by and is responsible to the other members of the Board, who delegate to him the day to day running of the university. Huddleston's academic specialty is public administration, a field in which he has published widely, focusing on the senior federal career service and a variety of international issues. Accounts of Thomson focus on his scholarly work and his firm anti slavery social stance. By the end of the presidency, Thomson had written three books on 18th century Europe and Asia. He helped to give the campus a certain abolitionist tinge of reform, as was the case with Oberlin College, along these lines by stating that the school would not obey the fugitive slave law and would be willing to suffer the extreme penalty in case of need.

Under Frederick Merrick's presidency (1860–1873), the school focused as much on curriculum expansion as it did on fundraising. Less teacher than some of the others, Merrick's zeal significantly increased the school's coffers, but disappointment followed at the failure of his attempt to abolish fraternities in 1870 1872 and anxiety during the years of the construction of Merrick Hall. Charles Payne's presidency lasted between 1876 and 1888. He was an 1856 Wesleyan University alumnus graduate and during his presidency, enrollment in the college increased three times and music education experienced a decided renaissance. While no major buildings were built during his administration, Paynes' fame was strongly related to his reputation of being a disciplinarian. The Payne age of transition, was followed by Bashford's era of transformation during 1889 1904. The need of new departments and the value of specialized instruction were recognized. Bashford's aim was to improve the plant and offerings of the college; to make the school's curriculum and buildings on par with its new academic position. The building history during that period included Monnett extensions, University Hall and Slocum Library. Athletics and physical education facilities were established and a start was made for a new gymnasium. Development during the Bashford years meant establishments of departments for natural science (physics, zoology, geology), and new departments of speech, history, French, English and economics. The new ideal of specialization brought an emphasis on professional preparation on the Doctor of Philosophy degree and on travel and study in Europe. Three professional schools were established during his presidency (of Law, of Medicine and of Theology) and the Doric Front was demolished. Edgar Hall came into use and Selby Stadium was built; Austin Manor and Perkins Observatory was constructed and Stuyvesant Hall was planned. The first challenge for Wenzlau was campus unrest: Wesleyan students took over the ROTC building, demanded its shut down and eventually eliminated its presence in 1970. Students demanded participation in departmental meetings and faculty committees. The period saw a furthering of the democratic process in the governance of Wesleyan. His presidency witnessed decline in students' test scores, an unusually high attrition rate, lack of adequate research to identify potential major donors and a growing "party school" image, leading to a rocky relationship between him and the student body. In 1979 1982, the campus newspaper The Transcript severely criticized Wenzlau's presidency blaming it for "severely affecting the reputation of the college". The exchange between the president and The Transcript led to a Washington Post report on the school that eventually led to the end of Wenzlau's presidency.

The leadership of David Liles Warren increased admission standards for students, engaged students in a "live in" presidency, expanded media exposure and established a National Colloquium, whose objective was to focus on the liberal arts. Warren engaged in forty one interviews on the ABC and NBC networks.