Carol Quillen

Carol Quillen is the current president of Davidson College. She is the first female president ever and the first non-alum president since John Rood Cunningham.

Quillen, who grew up in New Castle, Delaware, went to the University of Chicago, where she was a student of Allan Bloom. After finishing her Ph.D at Princeton University, Quillen became a professor of history at Rice University in 1990. At Rice, Quillen eventually became a vice president, focusing on international studies.

As President, Quillen has overseen major initiatives and changes at the college. The college has undergone major construction projects, namely adding a new practice facility at the Baker Sports Complex and a new science center. She also guided Davidson as it moved from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10 Conference as Davidson's primary athletic conference. During her tenure, Davidson received its largest donation in school history from the Duke Endowment at $45 million. Quillen is also leading Davidson as it conducts a $425 million capital campaign.