John T. Casteen III became president of the University of Virginia in August 1990. As president, he has overseen innovations in academic programs, the successful restructuring of the University’s relationship with the Commonwealth of Virginia, unprecedented successes in raising private funds and in building programs, major expansions of the University’s physical plant and land holdings, internal reorganizations, and development of new international programs for students and faculty members. In this period, the University has been recognized for its overall quality (often ranked best among public universities and among the top twenty-five among all u.s. universities), for attracting and educating minority students, for the quality of undergraduate teaching, and for refinancing itself following historic reductions in state tax support at the beginning of the 1990s.

After teaching English at the University of California (Berkeley) and the University of Virginia, Mr. Casteen became Virginia’s secretary of education in 1982. He served until 1985. While secretary, he directed reforms in both secondary and higher education, revamped Virginia’s college desegregation efforts, and initiated programs of state support for research. From 1985 to 1990, he was president of the University of Connecticut.

Mr. Casteen holds three degrees in English from the University of Virginia (B.A. with high honors in 1965, M.A. in 1966, and Ph.D. in 1970). He writes short fiction as well as essays and papers in medieval literature, bibliography, and public policy. A collection of his short stories received the 1987 Mishima Award for fiction. He served as U.Va.’s dean of admissions from 1975 to 1982. Born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, he is married to Betsy Foote Casteen. They have five children.