| Post: | President |
| Body: | The George Washington University |
| Insignia: | George Washington University wordmark.svg |
| Insigniasize: | 150 |
| Incumbent: | Ellen Granberg |
| Incumbentsince: | 1 July 2023 |
| Appointer: | GW Board of Trustees |
| First: | William Staughton |
The president of the George Washington University is the chief executive officer of the George Washington University, appointed by the GW Board of Trustees and charged "to establish the university's vision, oversee its teaching and research mission and guide its future."[1]
The first President of what was then known as Columbian College was clergyman and Chaplain of the United States Senate, William Staughton. Although Columbian College was founded by prominent Baptists, its Congressional Charter forbade any religious restrictions for the University. As such, the Presidents of the University succeeding Staughton were not required to be Baptists. The Presidents of the George Washington University have been selected by its Board of Trustees.[2]
The current president of the George Washington University is Ellen Granberg. University officials announced Granberg would succeed incumbent Mark S. Wrighton. Granberg took office on 1 July 2023.[3]
In January 2023, the university announced that Ellen Granberg had been selected to succeed Wrighton. Granberg, who will become the first woman to serve as president of George Washington University, will take office on July 1, 2023.[4]
| Image | President[5] | Years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Staughton | 1821–1827 | ||
| Stephen Chapin | 1828–1841 | ||
| Joel Smith Bacon | 1843–1854 | ||
| Joseph Getchell Binney | 1855–1858 | ||
| George W. Samson | 1859–1871 | ||
| James Clarke Welling | 1871–1894 | ||
| Beniah Longley Whitman | 1895–1900 | ||
| Charles W. Needham | 1902–1910 | ||
| Charles H. Stockton | 1910–1918 | ||
| William Miller Collier | 1918–1921 | ||
| William Mather Lewis | 1923–1927 | ||
| Cloyd H. Marvin | 1927–1959 | ||
| Thomas H. Carroll | 1961–1964 | ||
| Lloyd Hartman Elliott | 1965–1988 | ||
| Stephen Joel Trachtenberg | 1988–2007 | ||
| Steven Knapp[6] | 2007–2017 | ||
| Thomas LeBlanc[7] | 2017–2022 | ||
| Mark S. Wrighton (interim)[8] [9] | 2022–2023 | ||
| Ellen Granberg | 2023–present |