President
About Lee Pelton
 Lee Pelton came to Emerson College from Willamette University, where he served as president for 13 years. |
M. Lee Pelton is the 12th president of Emerson College. He took office on July 1, 2011, after serving for 13 years as the president of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Before his time at Willamette, he served as dean of the college at Colgate University and at Dartmouth College. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Wichita State University and holds a PhD in English from Harvard University, where he taught and served as senior tutor at Winthrop House.
Dr. Pelton has served on the Board of Overseers at Harvard, where he was vice-chair of the executive committee. He has been active in several higher education associations and cultural organizations, including the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education (past chair), the Association of American Colleges & Universities, and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
His academic discipline is 19th-century British poetry and prose. He has written extensively on higher education and is a highly sought-after speaker on education, diversity, and the liberal arts.
Lee Pelton
at a Glance
EDUCATION
PhD, Harvard University
BA, Wichita State University
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Willamette University
1998–2011: President
Dartmouth College
1991–1998: Dean
Colgate University
1988–1991: Dean
Harvard University
1981–1986: Academic Dean at John Winthrop House
ADVOCACY & ADVISORY EXPERIENCE
Harvard University
Board of Overseers, Former Vice Chair
American Association of Higher Education
Board Member
American Council on Education
Former Chair
American Governing Board
Presidential Advisory Group
Association of American Colleges and Universities
Board Member
National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education
Board Member
Media INQUIRIES
Contact:
Andy Tiedemann, VP of Communications & Marketing
617-824-8540
andrew_tiedemann@emerson.edu
