Meet the President

Paul Conn has served as president of Lee University since 1986. During his twenty years as president, the university has seen significant growth: enrollment has increased from 1,214 to over 4,000, the size of the budget has quadrupled, and the physical campus has been substantially enlarged and rebuilt.

EDUCATION: Conn holds the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in psychology from Emory University (Atlanta, GA) and has subsequently spent three years at Harvard University as a postdoctoral Visiting Scholar. His undergraduate degree is in religion from Lee University.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Prior to becoming president, Conn served on the Lee College psychology faculty for 15 years. Holding the rank of Professor, he won the school's highest award for "Excellence in Teaching" and served as chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences. He has also taught at Appalachian State University (North Carolina) and has published his research in various journals, including The Journal of Experimental Psychology and The Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior.

In 1984, Conn was appointed Vice President of Institutional Advancement. He served in this position for two years until becoming President. During his administration, Conn has continued teaching in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY: In addition to his scholarly publications, Conn has enjoyed a second career as a free-lance writer. He has authored or co-authored 20 popular books, sharing by-lines with such personalities as Johnny Cash, pro football star Terry Bradshaw, businessmen Jack Eckerd and Richard DeVos, and many others. Four of his books have been listed on the New York Times bestseller list, and his book The Possible Dream was the #7 bestselling non-fiction book of 1977, according to Publishers Weekly.

PERSONAL INFORMATION: Conn lives in Cleveland, Tennessee, with his wife Darlia. They have three married children and eight grandchildren.