Hall of Fame Member Biographies

David Ross Boyd

David Ross Boyd was appointed in 1892 as the founding president of the University of Oklahoma. As its first president, he saw the school open with four faculty members, fifty-seven students, and a one-page class schedule. From those humble origins, Boyd led OU to employ a nationally recognized faculty, enroll more than 1,000 students, develop an expanded campus with impressive structures, and offer a greatly expanded curriculum. He left OU in 1908 when politics forced him from office. Today, a Norman street bears his name, as does a university building and a series of OU distinguished professorships. He died in 1936. In 1995, Boyd was inducted posthumously into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.