President of Texas A&M University


The president of Texas A&M University is the chief officer of the academic administration of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Forty-three people—forty-one men and two women—have held this office, including those who were in the position when it was named chairman of the faculty between 1883 and 1890, and those who held the position in an acting or interim capacity.
Tommy Williams is the interim president of Texas A&M University since he was appointed to the position by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on October 3, 2025, as the successor of acting president James R. Hallmark. The previous president, Mark A. Welsh III, resigned in September 2025. Williams is a former member of the Texas Legislature and is a member of the Texas A&M University class of 1978.
WWW president.tamu.edu

Early history

On October 4, 1876, on the recommendation of former Confederate president Jefferson Davis after he had declined the position, Thomas Sanford Gathright became the first president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. At the inauguration of the college, Gathright stated to those assembled
To the full success of the college, I can promise the best efforts of my colleagues in the faculty, as I pledge my own.
They may not be the proper men to work out success, and may be called to give place to others. I may not be suited to my place, and may retire; still this great work, in which all the people of this good state are interested, must go on and must succeed.

Presidents

The list of Texas A&M University presidents includes the previous presidents, and chairmen of the faculty of the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas. It also includes those that served in an acting or interim capacity.
The following persons have served as president of Texas A&M University:
No.PortraitPresidentTerm startTerm end
1Thomas Sanford GathrightJuly 15, 1876November 21, 1879
2John Garland JamesNovember 22, 1879April 1, 1883
actingJames Reid ColeApril 1, 1883June 26, 1883
3James Reid ColeJune 26, 1883July 19, 1883
4Hardaway Hunt DinwiddieJuly 23, 1883December 11, 1887
5Louis Lowry McInnisJanuary 24, 1888July 1, 1890
actingWilliam Stuart Lorraine BringhurstJuly 1, 1890January 20, 1891
6Lawrence Sullivan RossJanuary 20, 1891January 3, 1898
actingRoger Haddock WhitlockJanuary 3, 1898July 1, 1898
7Lafayette Lumpkin FosterJuly 1, 1898December 2, 1901
actingRoger Haddock WhitlockDecember 10, 1901July 1, 1902
8David Franklin HoustonJuly 1, 1902September 1, 1905
9Henry Hill HarringtonSeptember 8, 1905August 7, 1908
10Robert Teague MilnerSeptember 1, 1908October 1, 1913
actingCharles PuryearSeptember 1, 1913August 24, 1914
11William Bennett BizzellAugust 25, 1914September 1, 1925-
12Thomas Otto WaltonSeptember 3, 1925August 7, 1943
actingFrank Cleveland BoltonAugust 9, 1943May 27, 1944
12Gibb GilchristMay 27, 1944September 1, 1948
13Frank Cleveland BoltonSeptember 1, 1948June 3, 1950
14aMarion Thomas HarringtonJune 3, 1950September 1, 1953-
15David Hitchens MorganSeptember 1, 1953December 21, 1956
actingDavid Willard WilliamsDecember 22, 1956September 1, 1957
14bMarion Thomas HarringtonSeptember 1, 1957July 1, 1959
16James Earl RudderJuly 1, 1959March 23, 1970
actingAlvin Roubal LuedeckeMarch 30, 1970November 1, 1970
17Jack Kenny WilliamsNovember 1, 1970July 31, 1977
18Jarvis Ernest MillerAugust 1, 1977July 10, 1980
actingCharles Harold Samson Jr.July 10, 1980August 31, 1981
19Frank Everson VandiverSeptember 1, 1981August 31, 1988
20William Hodges MobleySeptember 1, 1988August 31, 1993
actingE. Dean GageSeptember 1, 1993June 1, 1994
21Ray M. BowenJuly 1, 1994July 31, 2002
22Robert M. GatesAugust 1, 2002December 18, 2006
interimEd J. DavisDecember 18, 2006January 3, 2008
23Elsa A. MuranoJanuary 3, 2008June 15, 2009
interimR. Bowen LoftinJune 15, 2009February 12, 2010
24R. Bowen LoftinFebruary 12, 2010January 13, 2014
interimMark A. HusseyJanuary 14, 2014April 30, 2015
25Michael K. YoungMay 1, 2015December 31, 2020
interimJohn L. JunkinsJanuary 1, 2021May 31, 2021
26M. Katherine BanksJune 1, 2021July 20, 2023
actingMark A. Welsh IIIJuly 21, 2023July 30, 2023
interimMark A. Welsh IIIJuly 30, 2023December 12, 2023
27Mark A. Welsh IIIDecember 12, 2023September 19, 2025
actingJames R. HallmarkSeptember 20, 2025October 2, 2025
interimTommy WilliamsOctober 3, 2025Present

Table notes: