Presidents of the UW System
On October 8, 1971, eight contentious months after its introduction, Governor Patrick Lucey signed the bill merging the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin State Universities into the University of Wisconsin System (the merger became effective on October 12). John Weaver, who had been president of the University of Wisconsin since January, became the first president of the new system. Although merger was not completed until 1974, from 1971 on there was a president of the UW System and chancellors for the individual institutions.
Presidents of the UW System
- John Carrier Weaver, 1971-1977
- Hugh Edwin Young, 1977-1980
- Robert Marchant O'Neil, 1980-1985
- Kenneth Alan Shaw, 1985-1991
- Katharine Culbert Lyall, 1992-2004
- Kevin P. Reilly, 2004-Present