When Oregon's Territorial legislature granted a charter in 1853, Oregon Institute became Willamette University.
Oregon Institute
- 1844-1847: Chloe Clarke Willson [ bio ]
- 1847-1848: Joseph Smith [ bio ]
- 1848-1849: James H. Wilbur, DD [ bio ]
- 1850-1850: Nehemiah Doane [ bio ]
- 1850-1853: Francis S. Hoyt, DD [ bio ]
Willamette University
- 1853-1860 Francis S. Hoyt, DD [ bio ]
- 1860-1865 Thomas Milton Gatch, PhD [ bio ]
- 1865-1865 Leonard J. Powell (interim) [ bio ]
- 1865-1867 Joseph Henry Wythe, MD, DD [ bio ]
- 1867-1868 Luther T. Woodward, AM (interim) [ bio ]
- 1868-1870 Nelson Rounds, DD [ bio ]
- 1870-1879 Thomas Milton Gatch, PhD [ bio ]
- 1879-1880 Charles E. Lambert, AM [ bio ]
- 1880-1891 Thomas Van Scoy, AM, DD [ bio ]
- 1891-1893 George Whitaker, AM, DD [ bio ]
- 1893-1902 Willis Chatman Hawley, AM, LLB [ bio ]
- 1902-1908 John Hamline Coleman, DD [ bio ]
- 1908-1914 Fletcher Homan, AM, STB [ bio ]
- 1914-1915 George Henry Alden, PhD (interim) [ bio ]
- 1915-1934 Carl Gregg Doney, PhD, LLD [ bio ]
- 1934-1941 Bruce Richard Baxter [ bio ]
- 1941-1942 Carl Sumner Knopf PhD [ bio ]
- 1942-1969 G. Herbert Smith PhD [ bio ]
- 1969-1972 Roger J. Fritz, PhD [ bio ]
- 1972-1973 James H. Corson (interim) [ bio ]
- 1974-1980 Robert Lisensky, PhD [ bio ]
- 1980-1997 Jerry E. Hudson, PhD [ bio ]
- 1997-1998 Bryan M. Johnston (interim) JD [ bio ]
- 1998-2011 M. Lee Pelton, PhD [ bio ]
- 2011-present Stephen E. Thorsett, PhD [ bio ]