John R. Kroger
PRESIDENT 2012–18
Born on March 31, 1966, in Cincinnati, Ohio
John R. Kroger became Reed’s fifteenth president in 2012. His top priorities were to strengthen the college’s academic program, expand financial aid, improve college finances, and build a more diverse and inclusive community.
During John’s tenure, Reed raised applications by over 95%; significantly improved faculty and student diversity; added new majors in computer science, neuroscience, dance, and comparative literature; completed construction of the new Performing Arts building and accomplished major renovations to ten key campus buildings; decreased class sizes and the student-faculty ratio; dramatically expanded financial aid; and significantly improved post-graduation employment outcomes. Reed recently received an A+ for financial strength from Forbes Magazine.
Kroger graduated magna cum laude with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy from Yale and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. Prior to coming to Reed, John pursued a distinguished career in education and public service as Attorney General of Oregon, federal prosecutor, law professor, United States Marine, and policy adviser to the U.S. Treasury and Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign. His book Convictions, about his career prosecuting the mafia and Enron, was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux and received the Oregon Book Award.