The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York is responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within New York State, presiding over

University of the State of New York The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state of New York (state), New York's governmental umbrella organization for both public and private institutions in New York State. The "university" is not an educational institution: it i ...

and the

New York State Education Department The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the supervision for all public schools in New York and all standardized testing, as well as the production and administration o ...

History

The board was established by statute on May 1, 1784. The members were divided into five classes: 1) ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

'' members including the

Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has ...

, the

Lieutenant Governor of New York The lieutenant governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket wit ...

, the

Secretary of State of New York The secretary of state of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York who leads the New York State Department of State, Department of State (NYSDOS). The current secretary of state of New York ...

, the

New York Attorney General The attorney general of New York is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the Department of Law of the state government. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of ...

, and the

Speaker of the New York State Assembly The speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party. As in most countries with a British heritage, the speaker presides over the lower hous ...

, the

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...

, the

Mayor of Albany, New York From its formal chartering on 22 July 1686 until 1779, the mayors of Albany, New York, were appointed by the royal governor of New York, per the provisions of the original city charter, issued by Governor Thomas Dongan. From 1779 until 1839, may ...

, 2) two people from each of the then twelve existing counties, 3) one representative of each religious denomination in the state, chosen by their congregation, 4) founders of any college or school in the state (and their heirs or successors), and 5) representatives from selected colleges. The regents were spread across the state and getting a necessary quorum proved difficult given the size of the state and travel demands. On November 26, 1784, 33 additional members were appointed, twenty of them from New York City and affiliated with King's College (now known as

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

). This arrangement also proved ineffective, so on April 13, 1787, the Legislature legislated the existing regents out of office, and a new set of regents was appointed: the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor continued as ''ex officio'' members, and 19 regents were appointed for life. This legislation also shifted the regents' focus from Columbia to schools, colleges, and universities across the state. On April 8, 1842, the Secretary of State was added again as an ''ex officio'' member, and on March 30, 1854, the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Vacancies were filled by joint ballot of the state legislature. The regents were made a constitutional body, no longer defined by statute, in 1894. In 1904, the board was reorganized again and the ''ex officio'' members were legislated out. The offices of superintendent of public instruction and secretary of the board of regents were abolished and the duties of both transferred to the commissioner of education, who "serves at the pleasure" of the board of regents. The regents continued to be elected by joint ballot of the legislature. Eleven of the sitting 19 regents were chosen by the legislature to continue in office, and were classified to serve for different term lengths, so that every year one seat came up for election, for a full term. The number of board members was reduced to eight, one regent per New York State Judicial District (based on the 1876 Act establishing the districts.), plus three "at large" members. # New York (''Manhattan'') and Bronx (''Bronx'') Counties # Kings (''Brooklyn''), Nassau, Queens, Richmond (''Staten Island''), Suffolk (

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

), Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester (''Yonkers'') Counties (

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...

) # Albany (''Albany''), Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster Counties (

Capital District A capital district, capital region or capital territory is normally a specially designated administrative division where a country's seat of government is located. As such, in a federal model of government, no state or territory has any poli ...

) # Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, Washington Counties ( North Country) # Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Onondaga (''Syracuse''), Oswego Counties ( Central Region) # Broome (''Binghamton''), Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga, Tompkins Counties (

Southern Tier The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York region of New York State, consisting of counties west of the Catskill Mountains in Delaware County and geographically situated along or very near the northern border ...

) # Cayuga, Livingston, Monroe (''Rochester''), Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Yates Counties (

Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...

) # Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie (''Buffalo''), Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming Counties ( Western Region) New Regents members have been sworn in as Districts were added and reconfigured. * 1909: Francis M. Carpenter sworn in as the first Regent from District 9 (Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties) * 1948: Cornelius W. Wickersham sworn in as the first Regent from District 10 (Suffolk County) * 1963: Joseph T. King sworn in as the first Regent from District 11 (Queens) * 1965: Max J. Rubin sworn in as the first 4th At Large member * 1983: Jorge L. Batista sworn in as the first Regent from District 12 (Bronx) and Norma Gluck was sworn in as the new District 1 Regent * 2009: Christine D. Cea sworn in as the first Regent from District 13 (Staten Island) Section 202 of the education laws of 1945 established that a regent could not serve past April 1 in the year following their 70th birthday or be a "trustee, president, principal, or any other officer of an institution belonged to the university." If either event occurred, the Regent was expected to resign from the board. This restriction was lifted in 1986 with the passage of a New York State law banning mandatory retirement ages in most sectors. Currently, 17 members serve, representing each of the 13 judicial districts plus 4 at-large members. Regents currently serve for a term of five years. The Regents have never received a salary and only their travel expenses are reimbursed.

List of Regents

''Ex officio'' members who served from May 1, 1784 founding to April 13, 1787 reconfiguration

* George Clinton, Governor *

Pierre Van Cortlandt Pierre Van Cortlandt (January 10, 1721 – May 1, 1814) was an American politician who served as the first Lieutenant Governor of New York. He was first elected to the New York Assembly in March 1768 and served in that body as the representative ...

, Lieutenant Governor *

James Duane James Duane (February 6, 1733 – February 1, 1797) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, attorney, jurist, and American Revolutionary War, American Revolutionary leader from New York (state), New York. He serve ...

, Mayor of New York City * Johannes Jacobse Beeckman, Mayor of Albany, until September 29, 1786 *

Egbert Benson Egbert Benson (June 21, 1746 – August 24, 1833) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician, who represented New York State in the Continental Congress, Annapolis Convention, and United States House of Representatives. He served as a membe ...

, Attorney General *

John Morin Scott John Morin Scott (1730 – September 14, 1784) was a lawyer, military officer, and statesman before, during and after the American Revolution. Early life Scott was born in Manhattan in 1730. He was the only child of John Scott (1702–1733) ...

, Secretary of State, until September 14, 1784 *

Lewis Allaire Scott Lewis Allaire Scott (February 11, 1759 – March 17, 1798) was an American politician. Life He was the son of John Morin Scott and Helena Rutgers Scott. On January 18, 1785, he married Julianna Sitgreaves (sister of Samuel Sitgreaves), and thei ...

, Secretary of State, from October 23, 1784 *

John Hathorn John Hathorn (January 9, 1749 – February 19, 1825) was an American politician and Continental Army officer from New York. Life He completed preparatory studies and became a surveyor and a school teacher. He moved to Warwick in the Province ...

, Speaker, until October 12, 1784 *

David Gelston David Gelston (July 4, 1744 – August 21, 1828) was an American merchant and politician. Early life Gelston was born on July 4, 1744, in Bridgehampton in Suffolk County on Long Island in what was then the Province of New York. He was a so ...

, Speaker, October 12, 1784, to January 12, 1786 * John Lansing, Jr., Speaker, January 12, 1786 to January 12, 1787; Mayor of Albany, January 12, 1787 *

Richard Varick Richard Varick (March 15, 1753 – July 30, 1831) was an American lawyer, military officer, and politician who has been referred to as "The Forgotten Founding Father." A major figure in the development of post-Independence New York City and Stat ...

, Speaker, January 12, 1787 * Abraham Yates, President Pro Tempore of the NYS Senate, from October 18

Regents appointed on May 1, 1784 who served until the April 13, 1787 reconfiguration

Henry Brockholst Livingston Henry Brockholst Livingston (November 25, 1757 – March 18, 1823) was an American Revolutionary War officer, a justice of the New York Court of Appeals and eventually an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Early life ...

Robert Harpur Robert Harpur (January 25, 1731 Ballybay, County Monaghan, Ireland - April 15, 1825) was an Irish-American teacher, politician, pioneer, and landowner. He participated in surveying lands within the Central Military Tract in New York State and is ...

Walter Livingston Walter Livingston (November 27, 1740 – May 14, 1797) was an American merchant, lawyer and politician. Early life He was a son of Robert Livingston (1708–1790), 3rd Lord of Livingston Manor, and Maria Thong Livingston (1711–1765), a grand ...

* Christopher Yates * Anthony Hoffman *

Cornelius Humfrey Cornelius may refer to: People * Cornelius (name), Roman family name and a masculine given name * Pope Cornelius, pope from AD 251 to 253 * St. Cornelius (disambiguation), multiple saints * Cornelius (musician), stage name of Keigo Oyamada * Metro ...

Lewis Morris Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Continen ...

Philip Pell Philip Pell (July 7, 1753 – May 1, 1811) was an American politician and lawyer from Pelham Manor, New York. He served in the New York State Assembly and as a delegate for New York to the Confederation Congress. Philip was born to the aristoc ...

Henry Wisner Henry Wisner (c. 1720 – March 4, 1790) was a miller from Goshen, New York. He was a Patriot leader during the American Revolution who voted for Independence on July 4, 1776, at the creation of the Declaration of Independence, and represented Ne ...

John Haring John Haring (September 28, 1739 – April 1, 1809) was an American lawyer from New York City. He was a delegate for New York to the Continental Congress. John was born to a large Dutch family at Tappan, New York which was then part of Orange ...

Christopher Tappen Major Christopher Tappen ( – ) was an American politician from New York State. During the American Revolution, Tappen served as a member of the New York Provincial Congress (which became in 1776–1777 the New York State Constitutional Conventio ...

James Clinton Major General James Clinton (August 9, 1736 – September 22, 1812) was an American Revolutionary War officer who, with John Sullivan, led in 1779 the Sullivan Expedition in what is now western New York to attack British-allied Seneca and ...

Christopher P. Yates Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει� ...

* James Livingston * Abraham Bancker *

John C. Dongan John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

Matthew Clarkson Matthew Clarkson (October 17, 1758 – April 25, 1825) was a colonial soldier and politician. Clarkson Street in Greenwich Village and the town of Clarkson in Western New York were both named after him. Early life Clarkson was born on October ...

Rutger Van Brunt Rutger is a male given name common in the Netherlands, and a cognate of the first name Roger. People * Ruotger (died 931), archbishop of Trier * (c.975–1050), First Duke of Cleves * (died 1075), Second Duke of Cleves *Rutger von Ascheberg (1621� ...

* James Townsend * Thomas Lawrence *

Ezra L'Hommedieu Ezra L'Hommedieu (August 30, 1734 – September 27, 1811) was an American lawyer and statesman from Southold, New York in Suffolk County, Long Island. He was a delegate for New York to the Continental Congress (1779 to 1783) and again in 1788. ...

* Caleb Smith *

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

* John McCrea

Regents added on November 12, 1784 who served until the April 13, 1787 reconfiguration

John Jay John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the first ...

Samuel Provost Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transit ...

John Henry Livingston John Henry Livingston (May 30, 1746January 25, 1825) was an American Dutch Reformed minister and member of the Livingston family, who served as the fourth President of Queen's College (now Rutgers University), from 1810 until his death in 182 ...

* Rev. John Rodgers * John Mason * John Ganoe * John Daniel Gros * Johan Ch. Kunze * Joseph Delaplain *

Gershom Seixas Gershom Mendes Seixas (January 15, 1745 – July 2, 1816) was the first native-born Jewish religious leader in the United States. An American Patriot, he served as the hazzan of Congregation Shearith Israel, New York City's first Spanish and Port ...

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

John Laurance John Laurance (sometimes spelled "Lawrence" or "Laurence") (1750 – November 11, 1810) was a delegate to the 6th, 7th, and 8th Congresses of the Confederation, a United States representative and United States Senator from New York and a United ...

* John Rutherford * Morgan Lewis *

Leonard Lispenard Col. Leonard Lispenard (December 14, 1714 – February 20, 1790) was a New York City merchant, politician, and landowner. Early life Lispenard was born on December 14, 1714 in the City of New York. He was the eldest son of six children born to C ...

* John Cochran *

Charles McKnight Charles McKnight (October 10, 1750 – November 16, 1791) was an American physician during and after the American Revolutionary War. He served as a surgeon and physician in the Hospital Department of the Continental Army under General George Wash ...

* Thomas Jones * Malachi Trent * Nicholas Romain *

Peter W. Yates Peter Waldron Yates (August 23, 1747 – 1826) was a lawyer and statesman from Albany, New York. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1786. Yates was the son of John G. and Rebecca Waldron Yates. His father was a blacksmith in A ...

* Matthew Vischer * Hunlock Woodruff * George J. L. Doll * John Vanderbilt * Thomas Romain * Samuel Buel * Gilbert Livingston * Nathan Kerr *

Ebenezer Lockwood Ebenezer may refer to: Bible * Eben-Ezer, a place mentioned in the Books of Samuel People * Ebenezer (given name), a male given name Places Australia * Ebenezer, New South Wales * Ebenezer, Queensland, a locality in the City of Ipswich * Eben ...

* John Lloyd, Jr. * Hermanus Garrison * Ebenezer Russell

Regents Sworn In from April 13, 1787 to 1904 reconfiguration

Notes: ''Ex officio'' tenures are not mentioned if the officeholder was a full member at the same time.

Regents Sworn in Since the April 1, 1904 reconfiguration

Chancellors

* George Clinton, 1784-1785, 1787–1795 *

, 1796–1801 * George Clinton, 1801–1804 * Morgan Lewis, 1805–1807 *

Daniel D. Tompkins Daniel D. Tompkins (June 21, 1774 – June 11, 1825) was an American politician. He was the fifth governor of New York from 1807 to 1817, and the sixth vice president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. Born in Scarsdale, New York, Tompkins ...

, 1808–1817 *

John Tayler John Tayler (July 4, 1742 – March 19, 1829) was a merchant and politician. He served nine years as Lieutenant Governor of New York, four months acting as the sixth Governor of New York, and also in both houses of the New York State Legislat ...

, 1817–1829 *

Simeon De Witt Simeon De Witt (December 25, 1756 – December 3, 1834) was Geographer and Surveyor General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and Surveyor General of the State of New York for the fifty years from 1784 until his death. Life ...

, 1829–1834 * Stephen Van Rensselaer, 1835–1839 * James King, 1839–1841 * Peter Wendell, 1842–1849 *

Gerrit Y. Lansing Gerrit Yates Lansing (August 4, 1783 – January 3, 1862) was a U.S. Representative from New York. Early life Lansing was born in Albany, New York on August 4, 1783. He was third of sixteen children born to Susanna Yates (1762–1840) and Abra ...

, 1849–1862 *

John V. L. Pruyn John Van Schaick Lansing Pruyn (June 22, 1811 – November 21, 1877) was a lawyer, businessman and politician from Albany, New York. His business ventures included banking and railroads, often in partnership with longtime friend Erastus Corning, ...

, 1862–1877 * Erastus C. Benedict, 1878–1880 * Henry R. Pierson, 1881–1890 *

George William Curtis George William Curtis (February 24, 1824 – August 31, 1892) was an American writer and public speaker born in Providence, Rhode Island. An early Republican, he spoke in favor of African-American equality and civil rights both before and after ...

, 1890–1892 *

Anson Judd Upson Anson may refer to: People * Anson (name), a give name and surname ** Anson family, a British aristocratic family with the surname Place names ;United States * Anson, Indiana * Anson, Kansas * Anson, Maine ** Anson (CDP), Maine * Anson, Missouri * ...

, 1892–1902 *

William Croswell Doane William Croswell Doane (March 2, 1832, in BostonGeorge Lynde Richardson, Project Canterbury: William Croswell Doane, First Bishop of Albany (Hartford, Connecticut; Church Missions Publishing, 1933), found aAnglican History website G L Richardson pa ...

, 1902–1904 *

Whitelaw Reid Whitelaw Reid (October 27, 1837 – December 15, 1912) was an American politician and newspaper editor, as well as the author of ''Ohio in the War'', a popular work of history. After assisting Horace Greeley as editor of the ''New-York Tribu ...

, 1904–1912 * St. Clair McKelway, 1913–1915 * Pliny T. Sexton, 1915–1921 * Albert Vander Veer, 1921 * Chester S. Lord, 1921–1933 * James Byrne, 1933–1937 * Thomas J. Mangan, 1937–1945 * William John Wallin, 1945–1950 * John Platt Myers, 1951–1957 * Roger Straus, 1957 * John F. Brosnan, 1957-1961 * Edgar W. Couper, 1961–1968 * Joseph W. McGovern, 1968–1975 * Theodore M. Black, 1975–1980 * Willard A. Genrich, 1980–1985 * Martin C. Barell, 1985–1992 * R. Carlos Carballada, 1991–1995 * Carl T. Hayden, 1995–2002 * Robert M. Bennett, 2002–2009 * Merryl Tisch, 2009–2016 (first female chancellor) * Betty A. Rosa 2016–2020 (first Latina/Hispanic chancellor) * T. Andrew Brown 2020–2021 *Lester W. Young, Jr. 2021-''2022''

References

''Minutes of the Regents of the University''
(1860; pg. iii–ix)
''New York Civil List''
(1867; pg. 416–419)
''New York Red Book''
(1897; pg. 646)
''New York Red Book''
(1902; pg. 497)
"Dr. Draper Will Accept"
in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' on March 8, 1904 {{Postsecondary Institutional Accreditors in the United States 1784 establishments in New York (state)

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

Education in New York (state) #