Presidential History
For over 100 years, Lee has been developing leaders with the guiding perspective of a life centered on Christ. From its inception as Bible Training School in 1918 to its adoption of the name Lee College in 1947 and Lee University in 1997, our school has been led by individuals committed to a task with one goal in mind, helping young, earnest learners discover what they can become and what contributions they can make in a complex world. Below is a glimpse of our presidents, people who have led the way in such exciting work since the very beginning.
A.J. Tomlinson
1918-1922
F.J. Lee
1922-1923
J.B. Ellis
1923-1924
T.S. Payne
1924-1930
J.H. Walker
1930-35; 1944-45
Zeno C. Tharp
1935-1944
E.L. Simmons
1945-1948
J. Stewart Brinsfield
1948-1951
John C. Jernigan
1951-1952
R. Leonard Carroll
1952-1957
R.L. Platt
1957-1960
Ray H. Hughes
1960-1966
1982-1984
James A. Cross
1966-1970
Charles W. Conn
1970-1982
Lamar Vest
1984-1986
Dr. Paul Conn
1986-2020