By Cody Heintz, Business Manager

In the 76 years Hofstra has been around, there have eight different people that have held the title of Preisdent. Each one brought different perspective and impact to Hofstra.

John Cranford Adams:

Adams served as Hofstra’s third President from 1944 through 1964. A noted Shakespearian scholar, he began his academic career as an English instructor at both Syracuse University and Cornell University. He was also a Senior Research Fellow at the Folger-Shakespeare in Washington D.C. In 1950, Adams was the principal founder of the Hofstra Shakespeare Festival. When Hofstra built a replica of the Globe Stage in 1950, it was based off of the model Adams built for his Ph.D. research. The Playhouse was renamed in his honor in 1974. The John Cranford Adams Chair in Literature was established in his honor in 1965 by the Hofstra Alumni Association. Adams also oversaw Hofstra’s transformation from a college to a university. With 20 years of service, he is the longest-serving president in Hofstra’s history.

Howard S Brower:

Brower was Hofstra’s second President, and served from 1942 to 1944. He was a business partner of William Hofstra and was a trustee to the Hofstra Estate. Even though he never went to college, he donated the Hofstra estate to New York University to be originally used as a Long Island branch of that university. Prior to being selected as president, he was the treasurer of the college and would end up serving as the Chair of the Board of Trustees from 1944 to 1945. Brower also served as the President of the Nassau Lumber Company, Mayor of the Village of Hempstead and was a founder of the West Hempstead National Bank. Brower Hall, the second-oldest building on campus, was named in his honor.

Truesdel Peck Calkins:

Calkins served as Hofstra’s President from 1937 until his death in 1942. He was the first president of Hofstra, once Hofstra became an independent institution from New York University. Before becoming President, he served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Hofstra. Calkins was the Superintendent of the Hempstead Public School system from 1915 through 1932. He also served as the directors of the Hempstead Apartment Company and the Second National Bank of Hempstead. Calkins also served as a Professor of Education at New York University from 1932 to 1938.