Stanford University Stanford Historical Socty

In these candid oral history interviews, twenty-one leaders in higher education reflect on their experiences at Stanford during John L. Hennessy’s tenure as president (2000-2016). Their stories illuminate the struggles and opportunities, the strategies, and the decision-making process of an exceptional leader and his team during both a golden age and a time of challenge for one of the world’s greatest research universities.

Hennessy and his team put in place interdisciplinary structures that redefined the research landscape, reimagined the student experience, expanded medical research and clinical services, and oversaw the largest building program in Stanford history-all enabled by transformational fundraising.

The interviews in this collection tell the stories behind those accomplishments. They speak to the nature of team leadership, the processes that spark innovation, the keys to attracting and retaining talent, and the fragile balance between central control and decentralized autonomy. Together they offer a nuanced account of what it takes to lead a great university.