To be precise, the average length of tenure of Dartmouth’s presidents has been 14.75 years. The longest term was 35 years, served by Dartmouth’s second president, John Wheelock (1779-1815) and by the sixth president, Nathan Lord (1828-63). The shortest term was that of Daniel Dana (1820-21), the College’s fourth president. Dana resigned after just one year, due to ill health and “exhausted by the strain of the presidency.” James Wright served 11 years (1998-2009), as did his immediate predecessor, James O. Freedman (1987-98), and John G. Kemeny, Dartmouth’s 13th president (1970-81). Jim Yong Kim became Dartmouth's 17th president on July 1 and was formally inaugurated in ceremonies on the Dartmouth Green on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 at 11 a.m.
For more information on all of Dartmouth’s presidents, see the Wheelock Succession of Presidents.
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