The Dean of the College is Princeton’s third-oldest deanship, established in the spring of 1909 by University President Woodrow Wilson.
Deans of the College, Department, Tenure as Dean
Edward G. Elliott, politics, 1909-1912
Howard McClenahan, physics, 1912-1925
Christian Gauss, modern languages, 1925-1946
Francis R. B. Godolphin, classics, 1946-1955
Jeremiah S. Finch, English, 1955-1961
J. Merrill Knapp, music, 1961-1966
Edward D. Sullivan, French, 1966-1972
Neil L. Rudenstine, English, 1972-1977
Joan S. Girgus, psychology, 1977-1987
Nancy Weiss Malkiel, history, 1987- 2011
Valerie A. Smith, English, 2011 - 2015