John Silber, Seventh President
from 1971–1996
Texas native John Silber graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio and earned a PhD in philosophy from Yale University. Appointed Boston University president in 1971, Silber took charge of an institution in financial and educational disarray. His first task was to balance the budget. He also hired distinguished new faculty, raised admissions standards, expanded the campus, built the endowment, reinstituted academic requirements, and had protesters who broke the law arrested. His actions during the 1970s provoked opposition and controversy but, by the 1980s, even Silber’s critics conceded that he had transformed Boston University. Among his other notable achievements were managing the school system of neighboring Chelsea for 10 years and establishing the Prison Education Program and Boston University Academy. In March 1994, he announced that he would step down on May 31, 1996, to become Chancellor.
