PresidentKansas State University
Few college presidents have been as well recognized nationally for improving the athletic and academic programs on a campus as has Kansas State University’s (K-State’s) Jon Wefald.
Under his leadership, K-State has added about 2 million square feet of new university buildings, including a new library, a new art museum, and a nationally acclaimed plant science building. In addition, during the Wefald years enrollment has increased from about 13,500 to more than 23,000; K-State has built a healthy endowment program and established a national presence in athletics. With Wefald at the helm, K-State's total research funding increased to record numbers. The university returns nearly $17 for every $1 of state funding it receives.
Since his arrival in 1986, K-State leads the nation's public universities in the total number of Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater and Udall scholarship winners. K-State students have won more Truman scholarships, more Goldwater scholarships and more Phi Kappa Phi Fellowships than any other public university in the nation. By recognizing and encouraging excellence, Wefald has helped K-State achieve the pinnacle of success.
Before coming to K-State, Wefald served as Chancellor of the State University System in Minnesota from 1982-86, a system comprised of seven universities. He was president of Southwest State in Marshall, Minn., from 1977-82; Minnesota's Commissioner of Agriculture from 1971-77, and a member of the faculty at Gustavus Adolphus from 1965-70.
He earned his B.A. from Pacific Lutheran in 1959, his M.A. in history and political science from Washington State University in 1961, and his doctorate in history from the University of Michigan in 1965.