Anne Harris Named Grinnell President

On July 14, the Board of Trustees announced their unanimous decision that Anne F. Harris would be the 14th president of Grinnell College. Her appointment comes after an extensive and rigorous national search which, despite the challenges of the pandemic, yielded expressions of interest from sitting presidents, provosts and deans at peer institutions, and resulted in more than 30 multi-round interviews.

Harris, who joined Grinnell in 2019 as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, has been an important member of the president’s senior team during recent challenging months. Her career in higher education includes more than 20 years in various leadership positions as a faculty member and eventually as vice president for academic affairs at DePauw University, where she was a respected art history scholar, teacher, and mentor.

David Maxwell ’66, chair of Grinnell’s Board of Trustees, notes that Harris brings an inclusive, consensus-building leadership style to her new role. “She has demonstrated not only outstanding leadership, but also a nuanced understanding of and passion for the College’s mission and core values.”

Grinnell Magazine will include more coverage of President Harris in future issues.