In honor of the United States' presidential inauguration, a brief history of the University and its leadership was shared via the Health Sciences and Human Services Library blog.
The inauguration of the 46th president of the United States occurred Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. The United States and world watched as Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as president along with Vice President Kamala Harris. In celebration of the United States' inaugural events, the Historical Collections Department of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library is taking a moment to look back on our own presidential history.
In 2020, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) welcomed its own new president, Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, after nearly nine months as interim president following the departure of President Jay A. Perman, MD, for the chancellor’s office in the University System of Maryland. Dr. Jarrell began his tenure as UMB president with a letter to the UMB community on his first official day, Sept. 11, 2020.
In this letter, Dr. Jarrell mentions becoming the seventh president of UMB. While there have only been seven presidents in our more recent history, there have actually been 25 leaders of the University of Maryland, Baltimore. These leaders have had various roles and titles, including president, provost, and chancellor from its founding as the College of Medicine of Maryland in 1807 to today’s University. The following is a brief history of UMB and its leaders.
Early University History, Presidents and Provosts (1807-1920):
1. George Brown, President, College of Medicine of Maryland (1807-1812)
2. Charles A. Warfield, President, Board of Regents (1812-1813)
3. Robert Smith, Provost (1813-1815)
4. James Kemp, Provost (1815-1826)
5. Roger B. Taney, Provost (1826-1839)
6. Ashton Alexander, Provost (1837-1850)
7. John Pendleton Kennedy, Provost (1850-1870)
8. Severn Teackle Wallis, Provost (1870-1890)
9. Bernard Carter, Provost (1890-1912)
10. Henry Stockbridge, Acting Provost (1912)
11. Thomas Fell, Provost (1912-1920)
UMB traces its founding to 1807 when the state of Maryland approved a law (Session 216, Chapter 53) opening the College of Medicine of Maryland. Soon after its founding, Dr. George Brown was elected president of the College of Medicine of Maryland.
The College of Medicine of Maryland operated under that title until 1812, when a new law (Session 224, Chapter 159) created the University of Maryland. The new University was given the authority to organize a faculty of medicine, arts and sciences, law, and divinity under the leadership of a Board of Regents. The Board of Regents approved a provost as head of the University, which grew to include five departments or schools (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, and liberal arts, which was located at St. John’s College in Annapolis).
One University of Maryland, One President (1920-1965):
1. Albert F. Woods (1920-1926)
2. Raymond A. Pearson (1926-1935)
3. Harry C. Byrd (1935-1954)
4. Wilson H. Elkins (1954-1965)
In 1920, the state of Maryland again passed a law (Session 310, Chapter 480) joining together the University of Maryland and the Maryland State Agricultural College (today’s University of Maryland, College Park). Under this law, the two schools operated as one state school with one president under the University of Maryland name. The College Park campus was primarily used for undergraduate education, while the Baltimore campus operated the professional schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, law, and, by 1961, social work.
Following creation of the state system, Wilson H. Elkins was named chancellor and led until 1978.
Creation of the University System of Maryland, UMB Chancellors and Presidents (1965-Present):
1. Dr. Albin O. Kuhn, Chancellor, UMB and UMBC (1965-1971)
2. Dr. Albin O. Kuhn, Full-Time Chancellor at UMB (1971-1980)
3. T. Albert Farmer, Chancellor (1981-1984)
4. Dr. John M. Dennis, Interim Chancellor (1984)
5. Edward N. Brandt Jr., President (1984-1988)
6. William J. Kinnard Jr., Acting President (1989-1990)
7. Dr. Errol L. Reese, President (1990-1993)
8. Dr. John W. Ryan, Interim President (1993-1994)
9. David Ramsay, President (1994-2010)
10. Dr. Jay Perman, President (2010-2020)
11. Dr. Bruce Jarrell, President (2020-Present)
In 1963, a state law (Session 358, Chapter 537) established the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), which opened in 1966. One chancellor, Dr. Albin O. Kuhn, oversaw both Baltimore universities beginning in 1965. In 1970, the University System of Maryland (USM) was formed. USM oversaw five universities: University of Maryland at Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC); University of Maryland, College Park; University of Maryland Eastern Shore; and University of Maryland University College. The five universities, with the exception of UMB and UMBC, had their own chancellor. However, in 1971, UMB and UMBC hired their own chancellors, and Dr. Albin O. Kuhn became the first chancellor of UMB.
In 1988, the head of the individual universities’ title was changed to president; thus, UMB’s first modern-day president was Edward N. Brandt Jr. The term chancellor was used for the individual overseeing the entire state system. Since that time, UMB has had seven full-time and interim presidents at the helm.
References and further reading:
Cordell, Eugene. (1903) The medical annals of Maryland, 1799-1899; prepared for the centennial of the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty.
Cordell, Eugene. (1907) University of Maryland, 1807-1907, its history, influence, equipment and characteristics, with biographical sketches and portraits of its founders, benefactors, regents, faculty and alumni.
University of Maryland, Baltimore Yearbooks.
University of Maryland, Baltimore Newsletters, Magazines, and Reports.
University of Maryland, School of Medicine Newsletters, Magazines, and Bulletins.
University of Maryland, Office of the President Digital Archives.
To see the blog post on the HSHSL's website, complete with additonal photographs, go to: https://www2.hshsl.umaryland.edu/hslupdates/?p=4577