The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York is responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within New York State, presiding over University of the State of New York and the New York State Education Department.
The board was established by statute on May 1, 1784. The members were divided into five classes: 1) ex officio members including the Governor of New York, the Lieutenant Governor of New York, the Secretary of State of New York, the New York Attorney General, and the Speaker of the New York State Assembly, the Mayor of New York City, the Mayor of Albany, New York, 2) two people from each of the then twelve existing counties, 3) one representative of each religious denomination in the state, chosen by their congregation, 4) founders of any college or school in the state (and their heirs or successors), and 5) representatives from selected colleges.[1]
The regents were spread across the state and getting a necessary quorum proved difficult given the size of the state and travel demands. On November 26, 1784, 33 additional members were appointed, twenty of them from New York City and affiliated with King's College (now known as Columbia University). This arrangement also proved ineffective, so on April 13, 1787, the legislature legislated the existing regents out of office, and a new set of regents was appointed: the governor and the lieutenant governor continued as ex officio members, and 19 regents were appointed for life. This legislation also shifted the regents' focus from Columbia to schools, colleges, and universities across the state. On April 8, 1842, the secretary of state was added again as an ex officio member, and on March 30, 1854, the superintendent of public instruction. Vacancies were filled by joint ballot of the state legislature.[2]
The regents were made a constitutional body, no longer defined by statute, in 1894.[3] In 1904, the board was reorganized again and the ex officio members were legislated out. The offices of superintendent of public instruction and secretary of the board of regents were abolished and the duties of both transferred to the commissioner of education, who "serves at the pleasure" of the board of regents.[4] The regents continued to be elected by joint ballot of the legislature. Eleven of the sitting 19 regents were chosen by the legislature to continue in office, and were classified to serve for different term lengths, so that every year one seat came up for election, for a full term. The number of board members was reduced to eight, one regent per New York State Judicial District (based on the 1876 Act establishing the districts.[5]), plus three "at large" members.
New regents members have been sworn in as districts were added and reconfigured.
Section 202 of the education laws of 1945 established that a regent could not serve past April 1 in the year following their 70th birthday or be a "trustee, president, principal, or any other officer of an institution belonged to the university." If either event occurred, the regent was expected to resign from the board.[6] This restriction was lifted in 1986 with the passage of a New York State law banning mandatory retirement ages in most sectors.[7]
Currently, 17 members serve, representing each of the 13 judicial districts plus 4 at-large members. Regents currently serve for a term of five years. The Regents have never received a salary and only their travel expenses are reimbursed.
Notes: Ex officio tenures are not mentioned if the officeholder was a full member at the same time.
| Regent | Entered office | Notes | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egbert Benson | April 13, 1787 | previously ex officio member | 1802 | resigned |
| Matthew Clarkson | April 13, 1787 | re-appointed | April 25, 1825 | died |
| George Clinton | April 13, 1787 | ex officio as governor | June 30, 1795 | term ended |
| John Jay | April 13, 1787 | re-appointed | 1790 | resigned |
| July 1, 1795 | ex officio as governor | June 30, 1801 | term ended | |
| Nathan Kerr | April 13, 1787 | re-appointed; AKA Nathan Carr | December 21, 1804 | died |
| Andrew King | April 13, 1787 | November 16, 1815 | died | |
| Ezra L'Hommedieu | April 13, 1787 | re-appointed | September 27, 1811 | died |
| William Linn | April 13, 1787 | AKA William Lynn | January 8, 1808 | died |
| James Livingston | April 13, 1787 | re-appointed | 1797 | resigned |
| John McDonald | April 13, 1787 | 1796 | resigned | |
| Benjamin Moore | April 13, 1787 | 1802 | resigned | |
| Lewis Morris | April 13, 1787 | re-appointed | January 22, 1798 | died |
| John Rogers | April 13, 1787 | re-appointed | May 7, 1811 | died |
| Dirck Romeyn | April 13, 1787 | 1796 | resigned | |
| Ebenezer Russell | April 13, 1787 | re-appointed | February 25, 1813 | resigned |
| Philip Schuyler | April 13, 1787 | November 18, 1804 | died | |
| Peter Silvester | April 13, 1787 | AKA Peter Sylvester | October 15, 1808 | died |
| Jonathan G. Tompkins | April 13, 1787 | AKA Jonathan G. Thompkins | 1808 | resigned |
| Pierre Van Cortlandt | April 13, 1787 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | June 30, 1795 | term ended |
| Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben | April 13, 1787 | AKA Frederick William de Steuben | November 28, 1794 | died |
| Eilardus Westerlo | April 13, 1787 | December 26, 1790 | died | |
| Gulian Verplanck | March 30, 1790 | replaced John Jay | November 20, 1799 | died |
| Zephaniah Platt | January 15, 1791 | replaced Eilardus Westerlo | September 12, 1807 | died |
| James Watson | January 28, 1795 | replaced Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben | May 15, 1806 | died |
| Stephen Van Rensselaer | July 1, 1795 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | June 30, 1801 | term ended |
| James Cochran | February 18, 1796 | replaced Dirck Romeyn | 1820 | resigned |
| Rev. Jonas Coe | March 24, 1796 | replaced John McDonald | declined to take office | |
| Abraham Van Vechten | January 11, 1797 | replaced James Livingston | 1823 | resigned |
| Rev. Thomas Ellison | February 28, 1797 | replaced Jonas Coe | April 26, 1802 | died |
| Simeon De Witt | March 13, 1798 | replaced Lewis Morris | December 3, 1834 | died |
| James Kent | February 8, 1800 | replaced Gulian Verplanck | April 1, 1816 | vacated |
| George Clinton | July 1, 1801 | ex officio as governor | June 30, 1804 | term ended |
| Jeremiah Van Rensselaer | July 1, 1801 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | June 30, 1804 | term ended |
| John Tayler | February 1, 1802 | replaced Egbert Benson | March 19, 1829 | died |
| Henry Rutgers | February 15, 1802 | replaced Benjamin Moore | 1826 | resigned |
| Charles Selden | February 18, 1803 | replaced Thomas Ellison | 1816 | vacated |
| Morgan Lewis | July 1, 1804 | ex officio as governor | June 30, 1807 | term ended |
| John Broome | July 1, 1804 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | August 8, 1810 | died |
| Ambrose Spencer | January 28, 1805 | replaced Philip Schuyler | 1816 | vacated |
| Lucas Elmendorf | January 28, 1805 | replaced Nathan Kerr | 1822 | vacated |
| Elisha Jenkins | February 11, 1807 | replaced James Watson | May 18, 1848 | died |
| Daniel D. Tompkins | July 1, 1807 | ex officio as governor | February 24, 1817 | resigned |
| DeWitt Clinton | February 11, 1808 | replaced William Linn | 1825 | resigned |
| January 1, 1825 | ex officio as governor | February 11, 1828 | died | |
| Peter Gansevoort | February 11, 1808 | replaced Zephaniah Platt | July 2, 1812 | died |
| Alexander Sheldon | February 11, 1808 | replaced Jonathan G. Tompkins | 1816 | vacated |
| Nathan Smith | January 31, 1809 | replaced Peter Silvester | 1822 | vacated |
| Solomon Southwick | February 28, 1812 | replaced Ezra L'Hommedieu | 1823 | resigned |
| Joseph C. Yates | February 28, 1812 | replaced John Rogers | 1833 | resigned |
| Smith Thompson | March 8, 1813 | replaced Peter Gansevoort | 1819 | resigned |
| John Woodworth | March 8, 1813 | replaced Ebenezer Russell | 1822 | resigned |
| Martin Van Buren | March 4, 1816 | replaced Andrew King | 1829 | resigned |
| John De Witt | January 28, 1817 | replaced Alexander Sheldon | 1823 | resigned |
| Nathan Williams | January 28, 1817 | replaced Ambrose Spencer | 1824 | vacated |
| John Lansing Jr. | January 28, 1817 | replaced James Kent | December 12, 1829 | disappeared |
| Samuel Young | January 28, 1817 | replaced Charles Selden | 1835 | resigned |
| Philetus Swift | February 1817 | ex officio as acting lieutenant governor | June 30, 1817 | term ended |
| Stephen Van Rensselaer | March 16, 1819 | replaced Smith Thompson | January 26, 1839 | died |
| William A. Duer | February 1, 1820 | replaced James Cochran | 1824 | vacated |
| Harmanus Bleecker | February 7, 1822 | replaced Nathan Smith | 1834 | resigned |
| James Thompson | February 7, 1822 | replaced Lucas Elmendorf | 1845 | died |
| Erastus Root | January 1, 1823 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1824 | term ended |
| Samuel A. Talcott | February 15, 1823 | replaced John Woodworth | 1829 | resigned |
| James King | February 15, 1823 | replaced Abraham Van Vechten | 1841 | died |
| Peter Wendell | February 15, 1823 | replaced Solomon Southwick | 1849 | died |
| William L. Marcy | April 9, 1823 | replaced John De Witt | 1828 | resigned |
| Robert Troup | February 13, 1824 | replaced William A. Duer | 1827 | resigned |
| Peter B. Porter | February 13, 1824 | replaced Nathan Williams | 1830 | resigned |
| James Tallmadge Jr. | January 1, 1825 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1826 | term ended |
| John Greig | January 12, 1825 | replaced DeWitt Clinton | April 9, 1858 | died |
| Jesse Buel | January 26, 1826 | replaced Henry Rutgers | October 8, 1839 | died |
| Gulian C. Verplanck | January 26, 1826 | replaced Matthew Clarkson | March 18, 1870 | died |
| Nathaniel Pitcher | January 1, 1827 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | February 11, 1828 | became Governor |
| February 11, 1828 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1828 | term ended | |
| Edward P. Livingston | February 20, 1827 | replaced Robert Troup | 1831 | resigned |
| January 1, 1831 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1832 | term ended | |
| Peter R. Livingston | February 1828 | ex officio as acting lieutenant governor | October 17, 1828 | successor elected |
| Benjamin F. Butler | February 29, 1828 | replaced William L. Marcy | 1832 | resigned |
| Charles Dayan | October 17, 1828 | ex officio as acting lieutenant governor | December 31, 1828 | term ended |
| Enos T. Throop | January 1, 1829 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | March 12, 1829 | became Governor |
| March 12, 1829 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1832 | term ended | |
| Charles Stebbins | March 1829 | ex officio as acting lieutenant governor | December 31, 1829 | term ended |
| Gerrit Y. Lansing | March 31, 1829 | replaced Martin Van Buren | January 3, 1862 | died |
| John Keyes Paige | March 31, 1829 | replaced Samuel A. Talcott | 1857 | died |
| John Sudam | March 31, 1829 | replaced John Tayler | April 13, 1835 | died |
| William M. Oliver | January 5, 1830 | ex officio as acting lieutenant governor | December 31, 1830 | term ended |
| John P. Cushman | April 2, 1830 | replaced John Lansing Jr. | 1834 | resigned |
| John Tracy | April 2, 1830 | replaced Peter B. Porter | 1833 | resigned |
| January 1, 1833 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1838 | term ended | |
| John Adams Dix | March 23, 1831 | replaced Edward P. Livingston | 1846 | resigned |
| John L. Viele | February 6, 1832 | replaced Benjamin F. Butler | October 19, 1832 | died |
| William L. Marcy | January 1, 1833 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1838 | term ended |
| William Campbell | February 5, 1833 | replaced John Tracy | October 27, 1844 | died |
| Erastus Corning | February 5, 1833 | replaced John L. Viele | April 9, 1872 | died |
| Prosper M. Wetmore | April 4, 1833 | replaced Joseph C. Yates | March 16, 1876 | died |
| James McKown | April 17, 1834 | replaced Harmanus Bleecker | 1847 | died |
| John Lorimer Graham | April 17, 1834 | replaced John P. Cushman | 1864 | resigned |
| Amasa J. Parker | January 20, 1835 | replaced Simeon De Witt | 1844 | resigned |
| John McLean Jr. | April 8, 1835 | replaced Samuel Young | December 5, 1858 | died |
| Washington Irving | May 9, 1835 | replaced John Sudam | 1842 | resigned |
| William H. Seward | January 1, 1839 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1842 | term ended |
| Luther Bradish | January 1, 1839 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1842 | term ended |
| Joseph Russell | February 18, 1839 | replaced Stephen Van Rensselaer | 1844 | resigned |
| John C. Spencer | February 28, 1840 | replaced Jesse Buel | 1844 | vacated |
| Gideon Hawley | February 1, 1842 | replaced James King | July 17, 1870 | died |
| David Buel | March 24, 1842 | replaced Washington Irving | August 16, 1860 | died |
| Samuel Young | April 8, 1842 | ex officio as secretary of state | February 8, 1845 | successor elected |
| William C. Bouck | January 1, 1843 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1844 | term ended |
| Daniel S. Dickinson | January 1, 1843 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1844 | term ended |
| James S. Wadsworth | May 4, 1844 | replaced Amasa J. Parker | May 8, 1864 | died |
| John V. L. Pruyn | May 4, 1844 | replaced John C. Spencer | November 21, 1877 | died |
| Silas Wright | January 1, 1845 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1846 | term ended |
| Addison Gardiner | January 1, 1845 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | June 1847 | resigned |
| William C. Bouck | February 3, 1845 | replaced Joseph Russell | 1847 | vacated |
| Martin Van Buren | February 3, 1845 | replaced William Campbell | 1845 | resigned |
| Nathaniel S. Benton | February 8, 1845 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1847 | term ended |
| Jabez D. Hammond | May 10, 1845 | replaced Martin Van Buren | August 18, 1855 | died |
| John L. O'Sullivan | February 2, 1846 | replaced John Adams Dix | 1855 | resigned |
| Robert Campbell | February 2, 1846 | replaced James Thompson | July 16, 1870 | died |
| John Young | January 1, 1847 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1848 | term ended |
| Rev. Samuel Luckey D.D. | May 6, 1847 | replaced William C. Bouck | October 11, 1869 | died |
| Albert Lester | July 1847 | ex officio as acting lieutenant governor | December 31, 1847 | term ended |
| Robert G. Rankin | September 27, 1847 | replaced James McKown | August 29, 1878 | died |
| Hamilton Fish | January 1, 1848 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1848 | term ended |
| January 1, 1849 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1850 | term ended | |
| Christopher Morgan | January 1, 1848 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1851 | term ended |
| George W. Patterson | January 1, 1849 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1850 | term ended |
| Philip S. Van Rensselaer | February 6, 1849 | replaced Elisha Jenkins | 1856 | resigned |
| Washington Hunt | January 1, 1851 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1852 | term ended |
| Sanford E. Church | January 1, 1851 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1854 | term ended |
| John N. Campbell | March 18, 1851 | replaced Peter Wendell | March 27, 1864 | died |
| Henry S. Randall | January 1, 1852 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1853 | term ended |
| Horatio Seymour | January 1, 1853 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1854 | term ended |
| Elias W. Leavenworth | January 1, 1854 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1855 | term ended |
| Victor M. Rice | March 30, 1854 | ex officio as superintendent of public instruction | April 7, 1857 | successor elected |
| Myron H. Clark | January 1, 1855 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1856 | term ended |
| Henry J. Raymond | January 1, 1855 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1856 | term ended |
| Erastus C. Benedict | March 21, 1855 | replaced John L. O'Sullivan | October 22, 1880 | died |
| Joel T. Headley | January 1, 1856 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1857 | term ended |
| George W. Clinton | March 6, 1856 | replaced Jabez D. Hammond | September 7, 1885 | died |
| Robert Kelly | March 6, 1856 | replaced Philip S. Van Rensselaer | 1856 | died |
| John A. King | January 1, 1857 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1858 | term ended |
| Henry R. Selden | January 1, 1857 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1858 | term ended |
| Rev. Isaac Parks D.D. | April 7, 1857 | replaced Robert Kelly | April 15, 1869 | died |
| Henry H. Van Dyck | April 7, 1857 | ex officio as superintendent of public instruction | April 16, 1861 | resigned |
| Gideon J. Tucker | January 1, 1858 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1859 | term ended |
| Lorenzo Burrows | February 16, 1858 | replaced John Keyes Paige | March 6, 1885 | died |
| William Cullen Bryant | April 15, 1858 | replaced John Greig | declined to take office | |
| Edwin D. Morgan | January 1, 1859 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1862 | term ended |
| Rev. George B. Cheever D.D. | March 29, 1859 | replaced William Cullen Bryant | 1861 | vacated |
| Robert S. Hale | March 29, 1859 | replaced John McLean Jr. | December 14, 1881 | died |
| David R. Floyd-Jones | January 1, 1860 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1861 | term ended |
| J. Carson Brevoort | February 5, 1861 | replaced George B. Cheever | 1885 | resigned |
| Elias W. Leavenworth | February 5, 1861 | replaced David Buel | November 25, 1887 | died |
| Emerson W. Keyes | April 16, 1861 | ex officio as acting superintendent of public instruction | January 30, 1862 | successor elected |
| Horatio Ballard | January 1, 1862 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1863 | term ended |
| George R. Perkins | January 30, 1862 | replaced Gerrit Y. Lansing | August 22, 1876 | died |
| Victor M. Rice | January 30, 1862 | ex officio as superintendent of public instruction | April 7, 1868 | term ended |
| Horatio Seymour | January 1, 1863 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1864 | term ended |
| David R. Floyd-Jones | January 1, 1863 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1864 | term ended |
| Chauncey M. Depew | January 1, 1864 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1865 | term ended |
| George William Curtis | April 12, 1864 | replaced John Lorimer Graham | August 31, 1892 | died |
| Alexander S. Johnson | April 12, 1864 | replaced John N. Campbell | December 1873 | resigned |
| Thomas G. Alvord | January 1, 1865 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1866 | term ended |
| Reuben Fenton | January 1, 1865 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1868 | term ended |
| William H. Goodwin | January 24, 1865 | replaced James S. Wadsworth | February 17, 1876 | died |
| Francis C. Barlow | January 1, 1866 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1867 | term ended |
| Stewart L. Woodford | January 1, 1867 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1868 | term ended |
| Homer A. Nelson | January 1, 1868 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1871 | term ended |
| Abram B. Weaver | April 7, 1868 | ex officio as superintendent of public instruction | April 7, 1874 | term ended |
| John T. Hoffman | January 1, 1869 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1872 | term ended |
| Allen C. Beach | January 1, 1869 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1872 | term ended |
| John Augustus Griswold | April 29, 1869 | replaced Isaac Parks | October 31, 1872 | died |
| Francis Kernan | February 10, 1870 | replaced Samuel Luckey | September 7, 1892 | died |
| Oswald Ottendorfer | April 14, 1870 | replaced Gulian C. Verplanck | 1873 | resigned |
| John L. Lewis | February 8, 1871 | replaced Gideon Hawley | 1890 | died |
| Horatio G. Warner | February 8, 1871 | replaced Robert Campbell | February 12, 1876 | died |
| G. Hilton Scribner | January 1, 1872 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1873 | term ended |
| Henry R. Pierson | April 24, 1872 | replaced Erastus Corning | January 1, 1890 | died |
| John Adams Dix | January 1, 1873 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1874 | term ended |
| John C. Robinson | January 1, 1873 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1874 | term ended |
| Martin I. Townsend | April 24, 1873 | replaced John Augustus Griswold | March 8, 1903 | died |
| James W. Booth | May 14, 1873 | replaced Oswald Ottendorfer | September 14, 1876 | died |
| Diedrich Willers Jr. | January 1, 1874 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1875 | term ended |
| Anson Judd Upson | February 11, 1874 | replaced Alexander S. Johnson | June 15, 1902 | died |
| Neil Gilmour | April 7, 1874 | ex officio as superintendent of public instruction | April 7, 1883 | term ended |
| Samuel J. Tilden | January 1, 1875 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1876 | term ended |
| William Dorsheimer | January 1, 1875 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1879 | term ended |
| John Bigelow | January 1, 1876 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1877 | term ended |
| Augustus C. George | March 9, 1876 | replaced William H. Goodwin | 1877 | resigned |
| William L. Bostwick | March 9, 1876 | replaced Horatio G. Warner | September 22, 1896 | died |
| John Adams Dix | March 29, 1876 | replaced Prosper M. Wetmore | 1877 | resigned |
| Lucius Robinson | January 1, 1877 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1879 | term ended |
| Chauncey M. Depew | January 31, 1877 | replaced James W. Booth | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Charles E. Fitch | January 31, 1877 | replaced George R. Perkins | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Orris H. Warren | April 11, 1877 | replaced Augustus C. George | November 23, 1901 | died |
| Allen C. Beach | January 1, 1878 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1879 | term ended |
| Leslie W. Russell | January 17, 1878 | replaced John V. L. Pruyn | September 1891 | resigned |
| Whitelaw Reid | January 17, 1878 | replaced John Adams Dix | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Charles Emory Smith | January 22, 1879 | replaced Robert G. Rankin | 1880 | resigned |
| Alonzo B. Cornell | January 1, 1880 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1882 | term ended |
| George G. Hoskins | January 1, 1880 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1882 | term ended |
| Joseph B. Carr | January 1, 1880 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1885 | term ended |
| William H. Watson | February 2, 1881 | replaced Erastus C. Benedict | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Henry E. Turner | February 2, 1881 | replaced Charles Emory Smith | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Grover Cleveland | January 1, 1883 | ex officio as governor | January 6, 1865 | resigned |
| David B. Hill | January 1, 1883 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | January 6, 1885 | became Governor |
| January 6, 1885 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1891 | term ended | |
| St. Clair McKelway | January 10, 1883 | replaced Robert S. Hale | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| William B. Ruggles | April 7, 1883 | ex officio as superintendent of public instruction | January 1, 1886 | resigned |
| Dennis McCarthy | January 6, 1885 | ex officio as acting lieutenant governor | December 31, 1885 | term ended |
| Hamilton Harris | March 18, 1885 | replaced J. Carson Brevoort | December 14, 1900 | died |
| Daniel Beach | March 18, 1885 | replaced Lorenzo Burrows | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| James E. Morrison | January 1, 1886 | ex officio as acting superintendent of public instruction | April 7, 1886 | term ended |
| Frederick Cook | January 1, 1886 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1889 | term ended |
| Edward F. Jones | January 1, 1886 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1891 | term ended |
| Willard A. Cobb | February 2, 1886 | replaced George W. Clinton | 1895 | resigned |
| Andrew S. Draper | April 7, 1886 | ex officio as superintendent of public instruction | April 7, 1892 | term ended |
| Carroll E. Smith | January 24, 1888 | replaced Elias W. Leavenworth | August 21, 1903 | died |
| Frank Rice | January 1, 1890 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1893 | term ended |
| Pliny T. Sexton | April 15, 1890 | replaced John L. Lewis | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| T. Guilford Smith | April 15, 1890 | replaced Henry R. Pierson | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Roswell P. Flower | January 1, 1892 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1894 | term ended |
| William F. Sheehan | January 1, 1892 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1894 | term ended |
| William Croswell Doane | February 10, 1892 | replaced Leslie W. Russell | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| James F. Crooker | April 7, 1892 | ex officio as superintendent of public instruction | April 7, 1895 | term ended |
| Francis McNeirny | April 10, 1893 | replaced Francis Kernan | January 2, 1894 | died |
| Lewis A. Stimson | April 10, 1893 | replaced George William Curtis | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| John Palmer | January 1, 1894 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1898 | term ended |
| Sylvester Malone | March 29, 1894 | replaced Francis McNeirny | December 29, 1899 | died |
| Levi P. Morton | January 1, 1895 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1896 | term ended |
| Charles T. Saxton | January 1, 1895 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1896 | term ended |
| Charles R. Skinner | April 7, 1895 | ex officio as superintendent of public instruction | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Albert Vander Veer | February 13, 1895 | replaced Willard A. Cobb | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Frank S. Black | January 1, 1897 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1898 | term ended |
| Timothy L. Woodruff | January 1, 1897 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | December 31, 1902 | term ended |
| Chester S. Lord | January 20, 1897 | replaced William L. Bostwick | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Theodore Roosevelt | January 1, 1899 | ex officio as governor | December 31, 1900 | term ended |
| John T. McDonough | January 1, 1899 | ex officio as secretary of state | December 31, 1902 | term ended |
| Thomas A. Hendrick | April 3, 1900 | replaced Sylvester Malone | 1904 | resigned |
| Benjamin B. Odell Jr. | January 1, 1901 | ex officio as governor | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Robert C. Pruyn | February 13, 1901 | replaced Hamilton Harris | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| William Nottingham | February 27, 1902 | replaced Orris H. Warren | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Frank W. Higgins | January 1, 1903 | ex officio as lieutenant governor | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| John F. O'Brien | January 1, 1903 | ex officio as secretary of state | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Charles A. Gardiner | January 21, 1903 | replaced Anson Judd Upson | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Charles Spencer Francis | April 22, 1903 | replaced Martin I. Townsend | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Eugene A. Philbin | March 2, 1904 | replaced Carroll E. Smith | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Edward Lauterbach | March 2, 1904 | replaced Thomas A. Hendrick | March 31, 1904 | legislated out of office |
| Regent | Entered office | Notes | Left office | Notes | Judicial District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene A. Philbin | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 5 years | April 17, 1913 | resigned | 1st |
| St. Clair McKelway | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 2 years | July 16, 1915 | died | 2nd |
| Charles Spencer Francis | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 11 years | April 20, 1906 | resigned | 3rd |
| Albert Vander Veer | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 1 year | April 1, 1905 | term ended | 3rd |
| April 25, 1906 | replaced Charles Spencer Francis | February 9, 1927 | term ended | ||
| William Nottingham | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 3 years | January 23, 1921 | died | 5th |
| Daniel Beach | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 4 years | February 22, 1913 | died | 6th |
| Pliny T. Sexton | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 10 years | September 5, 1924 | died | 7th |
| T. Guilford Smith | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 8 years | February 21, 1912 | died | 8th |
| Charles A. Gardiner | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 6 years | April 23, 1909 | died | At Large Seat 1 |
| Edward Lauterbach | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 7 years | March 31, 1911 | term ended | At Large Seat 2 |
| Whitelaw Reid | April 1, 1904 | appointed to serve 9 years | December 15, 1912 | died | At Large Seat 3 |
| Lucian L. Shedden | April 1, 1905 | replaced Albert Vander Veer | January 17, 1912 | died | 4th |
| Francis M. Carpenter | April 1, 1909 | seat added | May 12, 1919 | died | 9th |
| Chester S. Lord | April 28, 1909 | replaced Charles A. Gardiner | August 1, 1933 | died | At Large Seat 1 |
| Abram I. Elkus | April 1, 1911 | replaced Edward Lauterbach | November 24, 1919 | resigned | At Large Seat 2 |
| Lucius N. Littauer | February 14, 1912 | replaced Lucian L. Shedden | February 26, 1914 | resigned | 4th |
| Adelbert Moot | April 1, 1912 | replaced T. Guilford Smith | September 12, 1929 | died | 8th |
| Charles B. Alexander | February 12, 1913 | replaced Whitelaw Reid | February 7, 1927 | died | At Large Seat 3 |
| Andrew J. Shipman | May 1913 | replaced Eugene A. Philbin | October 17, 1915 | died | 1st |
| John D. Moore | March 26, 1913 | replaced Daniel Beach | March 31, 1919 | term ended | 6th |
| Walter Guest Kellogg | March 10, 1914 | replaced Lucius N. Littauer | October 17, 1929 | resigned | 4th |
| William Berri | February 8, 1916 | replaced St. Clair McKelway | April 19, 1917 | died | 2nd |
| James Byrne | February 8, 1916 | replaced Andrew J. Shipman | July 30, 1937 | Resigned | 1st |
| Herbert L. Bridgman | May 2, 1917 | replaced William Berri | September 24, 1924 | died | 2nd |
| Thomas J. Mangan | April 1, 1919 | replaced John Moore | May 19, 1947 | term ended | 6th |
| William J. Wallin | February 12, 1920 | replaced Francis M. Carpenter | March 31, 1957 | retired | 9th |
| William A. Bondy | February 12, 1920 | replaced Abram I. Elkus | March 31, 1935 | term ended | At Large Seat 2 |
| William P. Baker | February 9, 1921 | replaced William Nottingham | January 8, 1930 | died | 5th |
| Robert W. Higbie | February 11, 1925 | replaced Herbert L. Bridgman | June 20, 1936 | died | 2nd |
| Roland B. Woodward | February 11, 1925 | replaced Pliny T. Sexton | December 27, 1946 | died | 7th |
| Florence Gibb Pratt | March 17, 1929 | replaced Charles B. Alexander;
First woman regent |
January 2, 1935 | died | At Large Seat 3 |
| William Leland Thompson | February 9, 1927 | Replaced Albert Vander Veer | March 31, 1951 | term ended | 3rd |
| John Lord O'Brian | February 12, 1930 | replaced Adelbert Mort | October 21, 1946 | resigned | 8th |
| Grant C. Madill | February 12, 1930 | replaced Walter Guest Kellogg | March 26, 1943 | resigned | 4th |
| George Hopkins Bond | April 1, 1930 | replaced William P. Baker | February 5, 1953 | resigned | 5th |
| Owen D. Young | February 14, 1934 | replaced Chester S. Lord | March 31, 1946 | term ended | At Large Seat 1 |
| Susan Brandeis Gilbert | February 13, 1935 | replaced Florence Gibb Pratt | March 31, 1949 | term ended | At Large Seat 3 |
| Christopher C. Mollenhauer | April 1, 1935 | replaced William Bondy | March 31, 1947 | term ended | At Large Seat 2 |
| George J. Ryan | February 10, 1937 | replaced Robert W. Higbie | March 31, 1941 | term ended | 2nd |
| Gordon Knox Bell | February 9, 1938 | replaced James Byrne | April 1, 1944 | term ended | 1st |
| W. Kingsland Macy | April 1, 1941 | replaced George J. Ryan | March 31, 1948 | new seat created | 2nd |
| March 31, 1948 | seat added | March 31, 1953 | term ended | 10th | |
| John P. Myers | February 9, 1944 | replaced Grant C. Madill | March 31, 1957 | year of his 70th birthday | 4th |
| Stanley Brady | April 1, 1944 | replaced Gordon Knox Bell | December 31, 1948 | resigned | 1st |
| Edward R. Eastman | April 1, 1946 | replaced Owen D. Young | March 31, 1956 | year of his 70th birthday | At Large Seat 1 |
| Welles V. Moot | February 12, 1947 | replaced John Lord O'Brian | March 31, 1956 | year of his 70th birthday | 8th |
| Caroline Werner Gannett | February 12, 1947 | replaced Roland B. Woodward | March 31, 1964 | resigned | 7th |
| Roger W. Straus | April 1, 1947 | replaced Christopher C. Mollenhauer | July 28, 1957 | died | At Large Seat 2 |
| George L. Hinman | February 11, 1948 | replaced Thomas J. Mangan | September 13, 1950 | resigned | 6th |
| Dominick F. Maurillo | March 3, 1948 | replaced W. Kingsland Macy | September 7, 1962 | resigned | 2nd |
| John F. Brosnan | February 9, 1949 | Replaced Stanley Brady | April 1, 1961 | year of his 70th birthday | 1st |
| Jacob L. Holtzmann | April 1, 1949 | replaced Susan Brandeis Gilbert | March 31, 1958 | year of his 70th birthday | At Large Seat 3 |
| Edgar W. Couper | February 14, 1951 | replaced George L. Hinman | April 1, 1968 | retired | 6th |
| Alexander J. Allan Jr. | February 14, 1951 | replaced William Leland Thompson | April 1, 1978 | term ended | 3rd |
| Elwyn L. Smith | February 25, 1953 | replaced George Hopkins Bond | April 1, 1954 | term ended | 5th |
| Cornelius W. Wickersham | April 1, 1953 | seat added | March 31, 1955 | year of his 70th birthday | 10th |
| Thad L. Collum | April 1, 1954 | replaced Elwyn L. Smith | January 31, 1967 | term ended | 5th |
| George L. Hubbell Jr. | April 1, 1955 | replaced Cornelius W. Wickersham | March 31, 1965 | year of his 70th birthday | 10th |
| T. Norman Hurd | April 1, 1956 | replaced Edward R. Eastman | December 12, 1958 | resigned | At Large Seat 1 |
| Charles W. Millard Jr. | April 1, 1956 | replaced Welles V. Moot | March 31, 1974 | year of his 70th birthday | 8th |
| Chester H. Lang | April 1, 1957 | replaced John P. Myers | June 15, 1961 | died | 4th |
| Everett J. Penny | April 1957 | replaced William J. Wallin | March 31, 1974 | year of his 70th birthday | 9th |
| Carl H. Pforzheimer Jr. | February 12, 1958 | replaced Roger W. Straus | March 31, 1978 | year of his 70th birthday | At Large Seat 2 |
| Edward M. M. Warburg | April 1, 1958 | replaced Jacob L. Holtzmann | March 31, 1975 | term ended | At Large Seat 3 |
| J. Carlton Corwith | February 3, 1959 | replaced T. Norman Hurd | December 7, 1966 | died | At Large Seat 1 |
| Allen D. Marshall | February 6, 1961 | replaced Chester H. Lang | March 31, 1965 | term ended | 4th |
| Joseph W. McGovern | February 7, 1961 | replaced John F. Brosnan | March 31, 1975 | resigned | 1st |
| Joseph T. King | February 4, 1963 | seat added | March 1, 1974 | resigned | 11th |
| March 31, 1974 | replaced Max J. Rubin | March 31, 1976 | retired | At Large Seat 4 | |
| Paul R. Falco | April 3, 1963 | replaced Dominick F. Maurillo | May 1, 1963 | died | 2nd |
| Joseph C. Indelicato | February 4, 1964 | replaced Paul Falco | March 31, 1977 | resigned | 2nd |
| Helen B. Power | April 1, 1964 | replaced Caroline Werner Gannett | March 10, 1975 | resigned | 7th |
| Francis W. McGinley | March 30, 1965 | replaced Allen D Marshall | March 31, 1976 | year of his 70th birthday | 4th |
| John I. Snyder | April 1, 1965 | replaced George L. Hubboll Jr. | March 31, 1966 | term ended | 10th |
| George D. Weinstein | June 23, 1965 | replaced John I. Snyder | March 5, 1969 | died | 10th |
| Max J. Rubin | June 23, 1965 | seat added | June 3, 1973 | resigned | At Large Seat 4 |
| Kenneth B. Clark | February 8, 1966 | replaced J. Carlton Corwith;
first African-American regent |
March 31, 1986 | term ended | At Large Seat 1 |
| Stephen Kemp Bailey | February 21, 1967 | replaced Thad Collum | April 30, 1973 | resigned | 5th |
| Harold E. Newcomb | February 3, 1969 | replaced Edward Couper | March 31, 1982 | year of his 70th birthday | 6th |
| Theodore Michael Black | April 23, 1969 | replaced George D. Weinstein | April 1, 1980 | retired | 10th |
| Willard A. Genrich | April 1, 1973 | replaced Charles W. Millard Jr. | March 31, 1995 | Removed by legislature[8] | 8th |
| Emlyn I. Griffith | May 23, 1973 | replaced Stephen Kemp Bailey | March 31, 1996 | retired | 5th |
| Genevieve Sanchez Klein | March 26, 1974 | replaced Joseph T. King | April 1, 1977 | term ended | 11th |
| William Jovanovich | March 31, 1974 | replaced Everett J. Penny | March 31, 1977 | resigned | 9th |
| Mary Alice Kendall | April 1, 1975 | replaced Helen B. Power;
nomination was contested[9] |
March 31, 1983 | term ended | 7th |
| Louis E. Yavner | April 1, 1975 | Edward M. M. Warburg;
nomination was contested[9] |
March 31, 1981 | resigned | At Large Seat 3 |
| Laura Bradley Chodos | April 1, 1976 | replaced Francis W. McGinley | March 31, 1993 | term ended | 4th |
| Joseph R. Bongiorno | April 1, 1977 | replaced Joseph C. Indelicato | May 3, 1980 | died | 2nd |
| Martin C. Barell | April 1, 1976 | replaced Joseph W. King | January 13, 1993 | died | At Large Seat 4 |
| Louise P. Matteoni | March 31, 1977 | replaced Genevieve Sanchez Klein | March 31, 1998 | term ended | 11th |
| Jorge L. Batista | April 1, 1975 | replaced Joseph W. McGovern;
nomination was contested[9] |
March 1, 1983 | term ended | 1st |
| April 1, 1983 | seat added | March 31, 1998 | term ended | 12th | |
| J. Edward Meyer | March 8, 1977 | replaced William Jovanovich;
longest serving regent |
March 31, 2000 | retired | 9th |
| Arlene B. Reed-Delaney | April 5, 1978 | replaced Alexander J. Allan Jr.;
First African-American woman |
September 30, 1980 | resigned | 3rd |
| R. Carlos Carballada | April 5, 1978 | replaced Carl H. Pforzheimer Jr | March 31, 1999 | term ended | At Large Seat 2 |
| Floyd S. Linton | April 1, 1980 | replaced Theodore Michael Black | March 31, 1995 | Removed by legislature[8] | 10th |
| Mimi Levin Lieber | May 19, 1981 | replaced Louis E. Yavner | March 31, 1995 | term ended | At Large Seat 3 |
| Shirley C. Brown | May 19, 1981 | replaced Arlene B. Reed-Delaney | July 20, 1995 | resigned | 3rd |
| Salvatore J. Sclafani | May 19, 1981 | replaced Joseph R. Bongiorno | March 31, 1988 | term ended | 2nd |
| Adelaide L. Sanford | March 25, 1986 | replaced Kenneth B. Clark | March 31, 2007 | retired | At Large Seat 1 |
| Thomas Frey | April 1, 1983 | replaced Mary Alice Kendall | December 31, 1987 | resigned | 7th |
| Norma Gluck | March 31, 1983 | seat added (district reconfigured) | March 31, 1997 | term ended | 1st |
| Robert M. Best | April 1, 1982 | replaced Harold Newcomb | January 8, 1984 | resigned | Binghamton |
| Walter Cooper | April 1, 1988 | replaced Thomas Frey | March 31, 1997 | retired | 7th |
| Gerald J. Lustig | April 1, 1988 | replaced Salvatore J. Sclafani | February 11, 1991 | died | 2nd |
| Carl T. Hayden | March 31, 1990 | replaced James McCabe, Sr. | March 31, 2002 | retired | 6th |
| Diane O’Neill McGivern | March 31, 1991 | replaced Gerald J. Lustig | March 31, 2005 | retired | 2nd |
| Saul B. Cohen | March 1, 1993 | replaced Martin C. Barell | December 1, 2010 | retired | At Large Seat 4 |
| James C. Dawson | March 1, 1993 | Laura Bradley Chodos | March 31, 2015 | term ended | 4th |
| Robert M. Bennett | April 1, 1995 | replaced William Genrich | March 31, 2015 | term ended | 8th |
| Robert M. Johnson | April 1, 1995 | replaced Floyd S. Linton | May 15, 2004 | resigned | 10th |
| Peter M. Pryor | April 1, 1996 | replaced Shirley C. Brown | March 31, 1999 | retired | 3rd |
| Anthony S. Bottar | April 5, 1996 | replaced Emlyn Griffith | March 31, 2016 | term ended | 5th |
| Merryl Tisch | April 1, 1996 | replaced Mimi Levin Lieber | March 31, 2016 | retired | At Large Seat 3 |
| Harold O. Levy | April 1, 1997 | replaced Norma Gluck | January 1, 2000 | resigned | 1st |
| Ena L. Farley | April 1, 1997 | replaced Walter Cooper | March 31, 2002 | term ended | 7th |
| Geraldine D. Chapey | April 1, 1998 | replaced Louise Matteoni | November 1, 2014 | resigned | 11th |
| Ricardo E. Oquendo | April 1, 1998 | replaced Jorge L. Batista | March 31, 2000 | resigned | 12th |
| Arnold B. Gardner | April 1, 1999 | replaced R. Carlos Carballada | March 31, 2009 | term ended | At Large Seat 2 |
| Eleanor Powell Bartlett | April 1, 1999 | replaced Peter M. Pryor | July 15, 2000 | resigned | 3rd |
| Charlotte K. Frank | April 1, 2000 | replaced Harold O. Levy | March 31, 2002 | term ended | 1st |
| Harry Phillips III | April 1, 2000 | replaced J. Edward Meyer | March 31, 2014 | retired | 9th |
| Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez | April 1, 2001 | replaced Ricardo E. Oquendo | December 31, 2007 | resigned | 12th |
| Joseph E. Bowman | April 1, 2001 | replaced Eleanor Powell Bartlett | June 15, 2010 | resigned | 3rd |
| Milton L. Cofield | April 1, 2002 | replaced Ena L. Farley | March 31, 2011 | term ended | 7th |
| James R. Tallon Jr. | April 1, 2002 | replaced Carl Hayden | March 31, 2017 | term ended | 6th |
| Judith O. Rubin | April 1, 2002 | replaced Charlotte K. Frank | December 31, 2003 | resigned | 1st |
| John Brademas | April 1, 2004 | replaced Judith O. Rubin | March 31, 2007 | term ended | 1st |
| Carol Bellamy | April 1, 2005 | replaced Diane O’Neill McGivern | February 2006 (?) | resigned | 2nd |
| Roger B. Tilles | April 1, 2005 | replaced Robert M. Johnson | March 31, 2025 | currently serving | 10th |
| Karen Brooks Hopkins | April 1, 2006 | replaced Carol Bellamy | March 31, 2011 | term ended | 2nd |
| Charles R. Bendit | April 1, 2007 | replaced John Brademas | April 1, 2016 | resigned | 1st |
| Natalie Gomez-Velez | April 1, 2007 | replaced Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez | March 31, 2008 | term ended | 12th |
| Lester W. Young Jr. | May 6, 2008 | replaced Adelaide L. Sanford | March 31, 2025 | currently serving | At Large Seat 1 |
| Betty A. Rosa | April 1, 2008 | replaced Natalie Gomez-Hopkins | August 1, 2020 | resigned | 12th |
| Christine D. Cea | April 1, 2009 | seat added | March 31, 2024 | currently serving | 13th |
| Wade S. Norwood | April 1, 2009 | replaced Arnold B. Gardner | March 31, 2024 | currently serving | At Large Seat 2 |
| James O. Jackson | April 1, 2011 | replaced Joseph E. Bowman | March 10, 2014 | resigned | 3rd |
| Kathleen M. Cashin | April 1, 2011 | replaced Karen Brooks Hopkins | March 31, 2025 | currently serving | 2nd |
| James Edward Cottrell | April 1, 2011 | replaced Saul B. Cohen | March 31, 2024 | currently serving | At Large Seat 4 |
| T. Andrew Brown | April 1, 2012 | replaced Milton L. Cofield | March 31, 2022 | resigned | 7th |
| Josephine Finn | March 11, 2014 | replaced James O. Jackson | March 31, 2024 | currently serving | 3rd |
| Judith Chin | March 10, 2015 | replaced Geraldine Chapey;
first Asian-American regent |
March 31, 2028 | currently serving | 11th |
| Beverly L. Ouderkirk | March 10, 2015 | replaced James C. Dawson | March 29, 2022 | died | 4th |
| Catherine Collins | March 10, 2015 | replaced Robert Bennett | March 31, 2025 | currently serving | 8th |
| Judith Johnson | April 1, 2015 | replaced Henry Phillips III | October 23, 2019 | died | 9th |
| Nan Eileen Mead | March 8, 2016 | replaced Charles R. Bendit | March 31, 2022 | term ended | 1st |
| Elizabeth Smith Hakanson | April 1, 2016 | replaced Anthony Bottar | March 31, 2026 | currently serving | 5th |
| Luis O. Reyes | April 1, 2016 | replaced Meryl Tisch | March 31, 2026 | currently serving | At Large Seat 3 |
| Susan W. Mittler | April 1, 2017 | replaced James Tallon Jr. | March 21, 2027 | currently serving | 6th |
| Frances Wills | April 1, 2020 | replaced Judith Johnson | March 31, 2025 | currently serving | 9th |
| Ruth B Turner | March 2, 2021 | replaced T. Andrew Brown | January 4, 2023 | resigned | 7th |
| Aramina Vega Ferrer | March 2, 2001 | replaced Betty A. Rosa | March 31, 2028 | currently serving | 12th |
| Shino Tanikawa | March 31, 2022 | replaced Nan Eileen Mead | March 31, 2027 | currently serving | 1st |
| Roger Catania | June 2, 2022 | replaced Beverly L. Ouderkirk | March 31, 2025 | currently serving | 4th |
| Adrian I. Hale | March 1, 2023 | replaced Ruth B. Turner | March 1, 2027 | currently serving | 7th |
May 1, 1784 New York.