Linfield’s previous interim leaders

Emanuel Northup
(1905-06)

The Rev. Northup came to Linfield in 1888 to oversee the school’s academic departments. He is credited, along with President Truman G. Brownson, for elevating the college’s studies to an undergraduate degree level and strengthening relationships with the Baptist Church and the surrounding community. During the Brownson-Northup tenure, the college started its first endowment, The Review began publication and athletic and service clubs were founded, among other achievements. After President A.M. Brumback resigned in 1905, the college twice had candidates accept the presidency and then not appear on the anticipated start date. Dean Northup became acting president until the hiring of Rev. Leonard W. Riley in 1906. Due to the financial strain facing the college at the time and the difficulty in hiring a new president (it was turned down two additional times), J.A. Jonasson described the time that included Northup’s interim presidency as the bleakest phase of the college’s history.  

William R. Frerichs
(1931-32)

Frerichs came to Linfield in 1912 to teach German and Greek. Some students refused to take German classes from him – a native of Germany – during World War I, although he repeatedly expressed gratitude for support from his faculty colleagues. Frerichs served in multiple roles during his tenure. These included librarian, editor of college publications and dean of faculty. Frerichs accepted the role of acting president upon President Riley’s retirement in 1931, while trustees evaluated candidates. Unlike the previous search, the authors of “Inspired Pragmatism” note that trustees evaluated a large number of potential candidates. Upon the hiring of Dr. Elam J. Anderson, Frerichs returned to his previous roles, until he retired in 1941. Of note, Frerichs was the first person in Linfield’s history to have two campus buildings named after him: a fine arts building destroyed by fire in 1969, and a residence hall dedicated in 1979.  

Winthrop W. Dolan
(July 1-Aug. 31, 1968)
(June 1-Aug. 1, 1974)

President Harry L. Dillin announced his resignation on Oct. 27, 1967, naming his departure date as June 1, 1968. While trustees reviewed applications of 30 candidates and brought four to campus for interviews; there was no consensus on who to hire. Dolan, professor of mathematics and dean of faculty, was asked to serve as acting president. His tenure would be only two months, trustees unanimously voted Gordon J. Bjork as president only 20 days after Dolan started. When Bjork resigned in 1974, Dolan once again took the mantle of acting president. While he had publicly supported Bjork against a faculty vote of no confidence, he was revered – even by colleagues who disagreed with him – for his principles, ability to take disinterested positions and ability to heal institutional wounds. He served during the summer months, until returning to the classroom to teach for the fall semester.  

Cornelius Siemens
(1974-75)

Siemens was acting president for the 1974-75 academic year, until the hiring of President Charles U. Walker. By the mid-’70s, Siemens had already amassed a lengthy higher education resume. Before coming to Linfield, he was the international programs director for the California state university system, president at Compton College from 1946-60 and president at Humboldt State University from 1960-73. An interesting sidenote: One of Siemens qualifications for the Linfield presidency was his affiliation with the Baptist Church. Trustees removed this qualification before launching the national search for the permanent president, making Siemens the last president required to be of the Baptist faith. 

Marvin C. Henberg
(2005-06)

Henberg joined the Linfield faculty in 1994 as a professor of philosophy. During his tenure, he directed the Environmental Studies Program, served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, and acted as interim president after the departure of President Vivian A. Bull. Henberg’s imprint is literally written in the Linfield history books. He is the co-author of “Inspired Pragmatism: An Illustrated History of Linfield College.” He also participated in crafting Linfield’s mission statement and incorporating the “arts quadrangle.” After his service to Linfield, Henberg became president of The College of Idaho until 2015. Henberg is the first Faculty Senate-nominated trustee on the Linfield University Board of Trustees and is co-chairing the current presidential search committee.  

Rebecca L. Johnson
(2024- )

Johnson started as interim president in January 2024, after the resignation of President Miles K. Davis. She is the first interim president in school history (previous leaders on this list used the title of ‘acting president’), and only the second woman to serve as Linfield’s president. She previously had been interim president at Oregon State University during the 2021-22 academic year. Before that, she spent 12 years as an OSU vice president and the top administrator at the university’s Cascades Campus in Bend.