ALA's Past Presidents

This page contains links to archived information about ALA's Past Presidents. Please view this Pinterest board from American Libraries for a pictorial listing of the all of the past ALA Presidents.

Photo Name Years of service Death date
Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada 2022-2023  
Patricia "Patty" Wong Patricia "Patty" Wong 2021-2022  
Julius C. Jefferson, Jr. Julius C. Jefferson, Jr 2020-2021  
Wanda K. Brown Wanda Kay Brown 2019-2020  
Loida Garcia-Febo Loida Garcia-Febo 2018-2019  
Photo of Past President Jim Neal James "Jim" Neal 2017-2018  
Photo of Past President Julie Todaro Julie B. Todaro 2016-2017  
Photo of Past President Sari Feldman Sari Feldman 2015-2016  
Photo of Past President Courtney Young Courtney Young 2014-2015  
Photo of Past President Barbara Stripling Barbara Stripling 2013-2014  
Photo of Past President Maureen Sullivan Maureen Sullivan 2012-2013  
Photo of Past President Molly Raphael Molly Raphael 2011-2012  
Photo of Past President Roberta Stevens Roberta A. Stevens 2010-2011  
Photo of Past President Camila Alire Camila Alire 2009-2010  
Photo of Past President Jim Rettig Jim Rettig 2008-2009 August 17, 2022
Photo of Past President Loriene Roy Loriene Roy 2007-2008  
Photo of Past President Leslie Burger Leslie Burger 2006-2007  
Photo of Past President Michael Gorman Michael Gorman 2005–2006  
Photo of Past President Carol A. Brey-Casiano Carol A. Brey-Casiano 2004–2005  
Photo of Past President Carla Hayden Carla D. Hayden 2003–2004  
Photo of Past President Maurice Freedman Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman 2002–2003  
Photo of Past President John W. Berry John W. Berry 2001–2002  
Photo of Past President Nancy Kranich Nancy Kranich 2000–2001  
  Sarah Ann Long 1999–2000  
  Ann Symons 1998–1999  
  Barbara J. Ford 1997–1998  
  Mary R. Somerville 1996–1997  
  Betty J. Turock 1995-1996  
  Arthur Curley 1994-1995 April 1, 1998
  Hardy R. Franklin 1993-1994 August 21, 2004
  Marilyn L. Miller 1992-1993 May 22, 2014
  Patricia G. Schuman 1991-1992  
  Richard M. Dougherty 1990-1991  
  Patricia Wilson Berger 1989-1990 March 27, 2011
  F. William Summers 1988-1989 August 12, 2016
  Margaret E. Chisholm 1987-1988 November 20, 1999
  Regina Minudri 1986-1987 June 18, 2021
  Beverly P. Lynch 1985-1986  
  E. J. Josey 1984-1985 July 3, 2009
  Brooke E. Sheldon 1983-1984 February 11, 2013
  Carol A. Nemeyer 1982-1983 June 30, 2008
  Elizabeth W. (Betty) Stone 1981-1982 March 6, 2002
  Peggy A. Sullivan 1980-1981 April 13, 2020
  Thomas J. Galvin 1979-1980 February 18, 2004
  Russell Shank 1978-1979 June 26, 2012
  Eric Moon 1977-1978 July 31, 2016
  Clara Stanton Jones July 1976-1977 September 30, 2012
  Clara Stanton Jones (Acting President) April 11-July 22, 1976 September 30, 2012
  Allie Beth Martin 1975-April 1976 April 11, 1976
  Edward G. Holley 1974-1975 February 18, 2010
  Jean E. Lowrie 1973-1974 November 9, 2014
  Katherine Laich 1972-1973 November 16, 1992
  Keith Doms 1971-1972 September 26, 2009
  Lillian M. Bradshaw 1970-1971 February 9, 2010
  William S. Dix 1969-1970 February 22, 1978
  Roger McDonough 1968-1969 December 2, 2001
  Foster E. Mohrhardt 1967-1968 June 7, 1992
  Mary V. Gaver 1966-1967 December 31, 1991
  Robert Vosper 1965-1966 May 14, 1994
  Edwin Castagna 1964-1965 November 26, 1983
  Frederick H. Wagman 1963-1964 November 30, 1994
  James E. Bryan 1962-1963 May 10, 2007
  Florrinell F. Morton 1961-1962 January 1990
  Frances Lander Spain 1960-1961 January 20, 1999
  Benjamin E. Powell 1959-1960 March 11, 1981
  Emerson Greenaway 1958-1959 April 1990
  Lucile M. Morsch 1957-1958 July 3, 1972
  Ralph R. Shaw 1956-1957 October 17, 1972
  John S. Richards 1955-1956 December 1979
  L. Quincy Mumford 1954-1955 August 15, 1982
  Flora Belle Ludington 1953-1954 March 23, 1967
  Robert Bingham Downs 1952-1953 February 24, 1991
  Loleta Dawson Fyan 1951-1952 April 1990
  Clarence R. Graham 1950-1951 January 28, 1989
  Milton E. Lord 1949-1950 February 12, 1985
  Errett Weir McDiarmid 1948-1949 April 27, 2000
  Paul North Rice 1947-1948 April 16, 1967
  Mary U. Rothrock 1946-1947 January 30, 1976
  Ralph A. Ulveling 1945-1946 March 21, 1980
  Carl Vitz 1944-1945 January 28, 1981
  Althea H. Warren 1943-1944 December 21, 1958
  Keyes D. Metcalf 1942-1943 November 3, 1983
  Charles Harvey Brown 1941-1942 January 19, 1960
  Essae Martha Culver 1940-1941 January 2, 1973
  Ralph Munn 1939-1940 January 22, 1975
  Milton James Ferguson 1938-1939 October 23, 1954
  Harrison Warwick Craver 1937-1938 July 26, 1951
  Malcom Glenn Wyer 1936-1937 December 31, 1965
  Louis Round Wilson 1935-1936 December 9, 1979
  Charles H. Compton 1934-1935 March 17, 1966
  Gratia A. Countryman 1933-1934 July 26, 1953
  Harry Miller Lydenberg 1932-1933 April 16, 1960
  Josephine Adams Rathbone 1931-1932 May 17, 1941
  Adam Strohm 1930-1931 October 30, 1951
  Andrew Keogh 1929-1930 February 14, 1953
  Linda A. Eastman 1928-1929 April 5, 1963
  Carl B. Roden 1927-1928 October 25, 1956
  George H. Locke 1926-1927 January 28, 1937
  Charles F. D. Belden 1925-1926 October 23, 1931
  Herman H. B. Meyer 1924-1925 January 16, 1937
  Judson Toll Jennings 1923-1924 February 8, 1948
  George Burwell Utley 1922-1923 October 4, 1946
  Azariah Smith Root 1921-1922 October 2, 1927
  Alice S. Tyler 1920-1921 April 18, 1944
  Chalmers Hadley 1919-1920 May 11, 1958
  William Warner Bishop 1918-1919 February 19, 1955
  Thomas Lynch Montgomery 1917-1918 October 1, 1929
  Walter Lewis Brown 1916-1917 October 16, 1931
  Mary Wright Plummer 1915-1916 September 21, 1916
  Hiller Crowell Wellman 1914-1915 February 3, 1956
  Edwin Hatfield Anderson 1913-1914 April 29, 1947
  Henry Eduard Legler 1912-1913 September 13, 1917
  Theresa West Elmendorf 1911-1912 September 4, 1932
  James Ingersoll Wyer 1910-1911 November 1, 1955
  Nathaniel Dana Carlile 1909-1910 November 25, 1927
  Charles Henry Gould 1908-1909 July 30, 1919
  Arthur Elmore Bostwick 1907-1908 February 13, 1942
  Clement Walker Andrews 1906-1907 November 20, 1930
  Frank Pierce Hill 1905-1906 August 28, 1941
  Ernest Cushing Richardson 1904-1905 June 3, 1939
  Herbert Putnam 1903-1904 August 14, 1955
  James Kendall Hosmer 1902-1903 May 18, 1927
  John Shaw Billings 1901-1902 March 11, 1913
  Henry James Carr 1900-1901 May 21, 1929
  Reuben Gold Thwaites 1899-1900 October 22, 1913
  William Coolidge Lane 1898-1899 March 18, 1931
  Herbert Putnam Jan.-Aug.1898 August 14, 1955
  Justin Winsor July-Oct.1897 October 22, 1897
  William Howard Brett 1896-1897 August 24, 1918
  John Cotton Dana 1895-1896 July 21, 1929
  Henry Munson Utley 1894-1895 February 16, 1917
  Josephus Nelson Larned 1893-1894 August 15, 1913
  Melvil Dewey 1892-1893 December 26, 1931
  William Isaac Fletcher* 1891-1892 June 6, 1917
  K. August Linderfelt* Oct. 1891-May 1892 March 18, 1900
  Samuel Swett Green July-Nov. 1891 December 8, 1918
  Melvil Dewey 1890-July 1891 December 26, 1931
  Frederick Morgan Crunden 1889-1890 October 28, 1911
  Charles Ammi Cutter 1887-1889 September 8, 1903
  William Frederick Poole 1885-1887 March 1, 1894
  Justin Winsor 1876-1885 October 22, 1897

* Mr. Fletcher is listed as serving as President 1891-92 since on May 21, 1892, the Executive Committee accepted the resignation of K. August Linderfelt who was elected in October 1891, with the stipulation that his name would be expunged from the presidential rolls. Please see Executive Board minutes cumulated index, volume 47, or reach out to the ALA Archives