First African-American president of Indiana University
Adam Herbert became the first African-American to serve as president of Indiana University on Aug. 1, 2003. Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Herbert came to IU from Florida, where he had been president of the University of North Florida and chancellor of the Florida state university system, the second largest university system in the nation. He was IU’s 17th president, succeeding Myles Brand, who had left to head the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Hired for a five-year term, Herbert served only four years due to conflicts with the faculty. Herbert alienated many members of the IU faculty by not hiring a popular dean of the College of Arts and Sciences as chancellor for the Bloomington campus. Faculty members also complained that Herbert was unresponsive to them and donors. The IU president announced in January 2006 that he would not continue beyond the term of his contract, but he also agreed to step down earlier if the IU Board of Trustees named a successor. Michael McRobbie was selected to take over as IU’s 18th president in July 2007.