Jon Westling, Eighth President
from 1996–2002
Jon Westling was raised in Yakima, Washington, and graduated from Reed College in Oregon. He received a Rhodes scholarship and studied history at St. John’s College, Oxford University. He served Boston University for more than two decades in a number of positions, including provost, before his appointment as president in 1996. During his tenure, he set six consecutive records for University fund-raising, opened a new complex of apartment-style dormitories, and initiated a dozen major building projects, including new science buildings and recreational and athletic facilities. He emphasized the importance of academic standards in admissions, streamlined bureaucracy in creating the University Service Center, and set a new tone of campus collegiality.
