Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr.

Interim President

Purdue University

MITCHELL E. DANIELS, JR. served as a two-term governor of Indiana from 2005-13 and as Purdue’s 12th president from 2013-22. He subsequently served as board chair of the Purdue Research Foundation before returning as the university’s interim president in 2026.

Daniels was elected governor in his first bid for elected office, and then re-elected with more votes than any candidate in the state’s history. During his tenure, Indiana went from an $800 million deficit to its first AAA credit rating, led the nation in infrastructure building, and passed sweeping education, healthcare, and economic reforms.

With Daniels as president, Purdue became the nation’s No. 1 most recognized public university. He prioritized student affordability and reinvestment in the university’s strengths. He ended 36 years of consecutive tuition hikes by freezing tuition and mandatory fees at 2012 levels. The hold on rates continued throughout his presidency and will continue at least through the 2026- 27 academic year. Overall, aggregate student borrowing fell 37%, and Purdue cost less to attend at the conclusion of his service than at the start.

Daniels was named among the Top 50 Greatest World Leaders by Fortune Magazine in 2015 and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019.

Prior to becoming governor, Daniels served as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, senior advisor to President Ronald Reagan, and director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush. He also was CEO of the Hudson Institute and president of Eli Lilly’s North American pharmaceutical operations.

Daniels earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and a law degree from Georgetown. He is the author of four books and a Washington Post contributing columnist.

He and his wife, Cheri, have four daughters and seven grandchildren.