The Purdue Board of Trustees

 

“Pursuant to Indiana Code, the Board of Trustees consists of ten members. Three members of the Board are elected by the Purdue Alumni Association, one of whom must be a graduate of the College of Agriculture. The governor appoints the remaining seven members of the Board, including a student trustee. All members of the Board serve three-year terms, with the exception of the student, who serves for two years. The trustees’ terms begin on July 1 and end on June 30.”

— Purdue Board of Trustees Web Page – 2018

 

On March 6, 1865, the Indiana General Assembly voted to accept the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act of Congress to establish a land-grant university. A five-member board including Governor Morton became “The Trustees of the Indiana Agricultural College” and met for the first time on October 20, 1865.

On May 6, 1869, the Indiana General Assembly, without an oversupply of money, accepted gifts of $150,000 and 100 acres of land from John Purdue, and $50,000 from Tippecanoe County to establish the university.

Since 1865, 175 individuals have served on the Board of Trustees, including ten current members.

On March 9, 1921, the Indiana statute governing the appointment of Purdue trustees was amended to include at least one graduate of the College of Agriculture, Since then, 18 Agriculture bachelor’s degree recipients, including four student representatives, have been board members.

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NAME                               GRADUATE     HOMETOWN       TRUSTEE

Palmer Ray Edgerton               1906          Jonesboro           1924-1941

Claude R. Wickard                    1915          Camden               1963-1967

J. Ralph Thompson                  1919          Seymour              1941-1968

Paul Bales Sturm                     1923           Dana                     1938-1945

Sherman O. Kessler                1936           New Ross              1973-1988

John A. Stewart                       1941           Greensburg           1980-1992

Thomas E. Graham                 1942          Washington           1968-1980

Donald S. Powers                    1947          Schererville           1975-199

W. Wayne Townsend              1951          Hartford City        1989-2004

Robert E. Peterson                  1952          Rochester              2003-2006

Lawrence “Sonny” Beck *      1962          Atlanta                   2013-

John D. Hardin, Jr.                   1967          Danville                 1992-2016

D. William Moreau, Jr.             1974         Hartford City         1991-2003

Mark Townsend                       1977          Hartford City        2004-2007

Anna C. Day Dilger **             2002          Noblesville            2001-2003

Rachel N. Cumberbatch **    2007          West Lafayette     2005-2007

Jill Steiner Zeller **                 2009          Noblesville             2007-2009

Cameron S. Mann **              2017          Cloverdale              2015-2017

*  Current Representative

** Student Representative