Richard L. McCormick became the 19th President of Rutgers, The
State University of New Jersey, on December 1, 2002. Dr. McCormick’s top
priorities are maintaining and enhancing Rutgers’ academic quality and
connecting the university more deeply to the people of New Jersey.
Prior to becoming president of Rutgers, Dr. McCormick enjoyed a distinguished career as a faculty member, scholar, and university administrator.After earning his B.A. in American studies from Amherst College in 1969 and his Ph.D. in history from Yale University in 1976, Dr. McCormick began his career as an assistant professor of history at Rutgers—New Brunswick. He rose through the ranks to become professor of history (1985), chair of the Department of History (1987—1989), and dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (1989—1992). From Rutgers, Dr. McCormick moved in 1992 to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he served as executive
vice chancellor, provost, and vice chancellor for academic affairs. In 1995 he became president of the University of Washington where he served until returning to Rutgers in
2002.
The author of three books and numerous articles, Dr. McCormick is a recognized
scholar of American political history. In 1985, he held a John Simon Guggenheim
Memorial Foundation Fellowship as well as a Woodrow Wilson International Center
for Scholars Fellowship. Dr. McCormick is actively involved in the work of a
number of national and international education organizations including the Association
of American Universities.
Dr. McCormick is married to Joan Barry McCormick, RU’88. He has two children, Betsy and Michael.
