Past Presidents

1876-1913: ISAAC CONRAD KETLER

Dr. Ketler founded Grove City College and led it through its first four decades. He started the school in 1876 with 13 students taking college preparatory classes. Through his dedication and inspiration, the College grew and adapted to the needs of students and the times. By the turn of the century, enrollment had grown to 660 students. At age 16, Ketler attended Edinboro Academy, a private training school for Pennsylvania teachers (now Edinboro University). For a short time after graduation, he taught in Scrubgrass, Pennsylvania before enrolling at the National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio. By age 35, he had earned master’s, doctorate, and divinity degrees from various institutions.

1913-1915: ALEXANDER T. ORMOND

Renowned Princeton philosopher, and friend of Woodrow Wilson and Isaac Ketler, Dr. Alexander Ormond continued to expand the faculty and enhance the curriculum to become more competitive. Ormond also introduced Greek life to campus and created a hymnal for the College. Ormond attended Miami University of Ohio for one year before transferring to Princeton University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1877, master’s in 1878, and doctorate in 1880.

1916-1956: WEIR CARLYLE KETLER '08

A graduate of Grove City College and Yale University, Dr. Ketler was the son of Dr. Isaac Ketler. At the age of 27, he became the youngest president of a recognized college in the nation and went on to become the College’s longest-serving president. A beloved professor and coach, he was highly respected on campus and led the College through a defining era in U.S. history, including the Great Depression and two world wars. Under his leadership, enrollment and the physical plant grew significantly as the College began its move to upper campus with the construction of Rockwell Hall, Harbison Chapel, and Crawford Hall around the quad. Ketler graduated from Grove City College in 1908 and went on to Yale where he earned another bachelor’s degree in 1910. He also received numerous honorary doctorate degrees.

1956-1971: JOHN STANLEY HARKER '25

During the Harker administration, the student body grew from 1,200 to 2,056 and the number of faculty members increased from 80 to 120. The curriculum of the school underwent extensive revision and several buildings and additions were constructed. Dr. Harker graduated from Grove City College in 1925 and attended McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1928. He also earned a master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.

1971-1991: CHARLES SHERRARD MACKENZIE

Dr. MacKenzie led the College through its historic challenge to federal power in the 1970s and 1980s, culminating in the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Grove City College v. Bell. Under his watch the College took a stand for independent, private education and introduced the Keystone Curriculum, which required all students to take courses that provided a common grounding in the liberal arts tradition. The Keystone Curriculum significantly influenced Paul J. McNulty ’80 who went on to become Deputy Attorney General of the United States and Grove City College’s ninth president. MacKenzie graduated with a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from Gordon College, a master's in psychology from Boston University, and a Th.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary.

1991-1995: JERRY H. COMBEE

Dr. Combee was instrumental in moving the College into a position of national recognition and prominence through a greatly expanded marketing and public relations program. Combee advanced the College’s core Keystone Curriculum by launching the College’s humanities core called the Civilization Series, which won national acclaim. During his tenure, the College began issuing laptop computers and printers to all incoming freshmen. Combee graduated with a bachelor's and a master's degree from Emory University and earned a Ph.D. in government from Cornell University.

1996-2003: JOHN H. MOORE

Dr. Moore came to Grove City College with an extensive resume and left a legacy of excellence and service. Moore led the College through its landmark withdrawal from federal student loan programs, which secured the College's complete independence from the government. Explaining the College’s action, Moore said, “As a private, Christian college, we have legitimate concern about federal interference in what we teach and how we teach it. This was the most compelling reason for deciding to withdraw from the program.”

2003-2014: RICHARD G. JEWELL '67

Pittsburgh lawyer and businessman Dr. Richard G. Jewell assumed the presidency of Grove City College in 2003 following a career as a director of Navigant Consulting Inc., the nation’s largest forensic accounting firm. Under his leadership, the College grew physically, academically, and spiritually. Jewell started and ended his term of office in the midst of massive capital campaigns and saw the campus through the construction and renovation of many campus buildings as a result. The first campaign raised $69 million, the most ever for the College at the time. The second, Grove City Matters: A Campaign to Advance Grove City College, broke that record and generated over $90 million. First elected to the board of trustees in 1974, Jewell received the College’s Distinguished Service Award in 2001. Jewell graduated cum laude from Grove City College with high honors in political science in 1967 and graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1973 with a Juris Doctorate degree.