After Alonzo D. Chesterman left Marshall College in 1881, the Board of Regents turned again to former principal Benjamin H. Thackston. From 1872 to 1877, Thackston had worked as an assistant teacher, who then left to enter a stock business. He returned during the 1880-1881 school year as the first assistant teacher. He stepped forward and accepted his former position as Principal in 1881 at time when the College’s future was clouded. He succeeded in reestablishing the school, as enrollment increased under his leadership. He continued as Principal until 1884, when he was forced out, because the Democratic party took control of the state government, and he was a Republican.
See Thackston’s previous biographical sketch as Principal for additional information on his life after he left the College
Principals
- Isaac N. Peck, 1837-1839
- Jacob H. Patton, 1839- 1840
- Alfred E. Thom, 1840-1843
- Josiah B. Poage, 1843-1850
- Henry Clark and Joseph Foster, 1850
- William B. McFarland, 1850-1853
- Staunton V. Field, 1853-1854
- William R. Boyers, 1854-1858
- Benjamin H. Thackston, 1858-1861
- Rev. J. M. Brown, 1861
- Daniel W. Thrush, 1861
- Salina C. Hite Mason, 1863-1867
Presidents
- Stewart Harold Smith, 1961-1968
- Roland Hill Nelson, Jr., 1968-1970
- Donald Newton Dedmon, 1970-1971
- John Grove Barker, 1971-1974
- Robert Bruce Hayes, 1974-1983
- Sam Edward Clagg, 1984
- Dale Frederick Nitzschke, 1984-1990
- Alan Brant Gould, 1990-1991
- James Wade Gilley, 1991-1999
- Audy Michael Perry, 1999-2000
- Daniel Duane Angel, 2000-2005
- Michael Joseph Ferrell, 2005
- Stephen James Kopp, 2005 – 2014
- Gary G. White, 2014 – Jan 2016
- Jerome A “Jerry” Gilbert, 2016 – present
Bibliography With Source Notes
Created by Lisle Brown, former Curator Special Collections