President of Central Philippine University


The following is a list of Presidents of Central Philippine University from its founding in 1905 up to the present. The president is required by the University to be of the Baptist or any Protestant denomination:
PresidentLifeTenureEvents
1. Reverend William Valentine1862–19281905-1906; 1907-1914Established a Bible School in the City of Iloilo and later the Jaro Industrial School. Women were admitted to the Jaro Industrial School. Both two schools was founded after the succession of the Philippines from Spain to the United States through the Treaty of Paris.
2. Charles L. Maxfield-1906-1907
3. Francis Howard Rose-1914-1916; 1938-1941
4. Henry Weston Munger-1916-1917
5. Mary Jane Thomas-1917-1918First female head of Central.
6. Alton Ezra Bigelow-1918-1922
7. Harland Francis Chandler Stuart-1922-1938The Jaro Industrial School merged with the Bible School and became a junior college . Central Philippine College became a senior college.
8. R. Fred Hertling Chambers-1941-1942
9. Joseph Morris Rickey Forbes-1947-1950
10. Peter Hugh James Lerrigo-1950-1952
11. Almus Oliver Larsen-1952-1956; 1957-1961Central Philippine College was given a university charter from the Philippine government.
12. Linnea Agnes Nelson-1956-1957; 1965-1966The first female president of Central.
13. Joseph Turner Howard-1961-1965The last long line of Baptist missionary, white and American presidents.
14. Rex Divinagracia Drilon-1966-1971The first Filipino and alum to be president. The Filipinization of Central where the university properties was turned over by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society to the Filipinos
15. Agustin Aguilar Pulido-1971-1996The first president associated with the Presbyterian Church. He became also the president of Silliman University.
16. Juanito Maca Acanto-1996 -2008The first lawyer by profession president.
17.Teodoro Canillas Robles-2008–PresentFirst President by Electrical Engineering profession and Fourth Filipino President.

Note: Postwar heads - Urbano F. Nequin and May A. Coggins are not included.