President of the College

Leo I. Higdon, Jr.

Watch a video conversation with President Lee Higdon. (May, 2009)

Leo I. Higdon, Jr. became the tenth president of Connecticut College on July 1, 2006, after serving as president of the College of Charleston and Babson College, and as dean of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.

A strong advocate of liberal arts education as the best preparation for life and career, Higdon was a Peace Corps volunteer and an investment banker with Salomon Brothers before becoming a leader in higher education.

Higdon leverages his business acumen and higher education expertise to distinguish Connecticut College among premier liberal arts colleges nationwide. Under his leadership, Connecticut College has launched a $200 million comprehensive campaign, produced 14 Fulbright Award winners, achieved record numbers of applications for admission and begun a $60 million campus renewal plan.

Additionally, Higdon has overseen an enhanced financial aid program, led the fundraising for a new state-of-the-art fitness center completed in the fall of 2009, and launched a new Science Leaders program to help attract and retain underrepresented students in the sciences.

Higdon earned a bachelor's degree in history from Georgetown University and an M.B.A in finance from the University of Chicago. He is a member of the boards of directors of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Eaton Vance Corp. and HealthSouth Corp. His past board affiliations include Georgetown University, Mt. Holyoke College, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and several major corporations. He has written and published widely on higher education and business. Higdon and his wife Ann have four grown children.

Last Modified: Friday, October 09, 2009 17:03