The following have served as president of Kent State University:

• John Edward McGilvrey (1911–1926); (b. 1867, d. 1945)
• David Allen Anderson (1926–1928); (b. 1874)
• James Ozro Engleman (1928–1938); (b. 1873, d. 1943)
• Karl Clayton Leebrick (1938–1943); (b. 1885, d. 1982)
• George A. Bowman (1944–1963); (b. 1893, d. 1976)
• Robert I. White (1963–1971); (b. 1909, d. 1990)
• Glenn A. Olds (1971–1977); (b. 1921, d. 2006)
• Brage Golding (1977–1982); (b. 1920, d. 2016)
• Michael Schwartz (1982–1991); (b. 1938)
• Carol Cartwright (1991–July 2006); (b. 1941)
• Lester Lefton (July 2006–July 2014); (b. 1942)
• Beverly J. Warren (July 2014–July 2019)
• Todd Diacon (July 2019–)^[1]