NCA has been led by disciplinary teachers and scholars whose vision and dedication shaped the mission, as well as the spirit, of the organization.
Prior to 1956, presidents were selected at the association’s Annual Convention, with the membership ratifying the selection of candidates put forth by a nominating committee. A constitutional revision enacted in 1954 that became effective in 1956 provided for the election of officers of the association by ballot rather than at the annual meeting.
- 1915 James M. O’Neill,* University of Wisconsin
- 1916 James A. Winans,* Cornell University
- 1917 James L. Lardner,* Northwestern University
- 1918 Howard S. Woodward,* Western Reserve University
- 1919 Howard S. Woodward,* Western Reserve University
- 1920 Charles H. Woolbert,* University of Illinois
- 1921 Alexander M. Drummond,* Cornell University
- 1922 Glenn N. Merry,* University of Iowa
- 1923 Harry B. Gough,* Depauw University
- 1924 Wilber Jones Kay,* West Virginia University
- 1925 Ray K. Immel,* University of Southern California
- 1926 Edward C. Mabie,* University of Iowa
- 1927 Andrew T. Weaver,* University of Wisconsin (Presidential Address)
- 1928 John P. Ryan,* Grinnell College
- 1929 Frank M. Rarig,* University of Minnesota
- 1930 John Dolman, Jr.,* University of Pennsylvania
- 1931 Clarence T. Simon,* Northwestern University
- 1932 Henrietta Prentiss,* Hunter College
- 1933 Lee Emerson Bassett,* Leland Stanford University
- 1934 Henry L. Ewbank,* University of Wisconsin
- 1935 Arleigh B. Williamson,* New York University
- 1936 Maud May Babcock,* University of Utah
- 1937 Herbert A. Wichelns,* Cornell University
- 1938 J.T. Marshman,* Ohio Wesleyan University
- 1939 A. Craig Baird,* University of Iowa
- 1940 Alan H. Monroe,* Purdue University (Presidential Address)
- 1941 W. Hayes Yeager,* George Washington University
- 1941 Honorary President Thomas C. Trueblood,* University of Michigan
- 1942 Claude M. Wise,* Louisiana State University
- 1943 Robert West,* University of Wisconsin (Presidential Address)
- 1944 Bower Aly,* University of Missouri
- 1945 Joseph F. Smith,* University of Utah
- 1946 W. Norwood Brigance,* Wabash College
- 1947 Magdalene Kramer,* Columbia University (Presidential Address)
- 1948 Rupert Cortright,* Wayne State University (Presidential Address)
- 1949 James H. McBurney,* Northwestern University (Presidential Address)
- 1950 Horace G. Rahskopf,* University of Washington (Presidential Address)
- 1951 Wilber Gilman,* Queens College (Presidential Address)
- 1952 Lionel Crocker,* Denison University (Presidential Address)
- 1953 Henry P. Constans,* University of Florida
- 1954 Karl R. Wallace,* University of Illinois
- 1955 Thomas A. Rousse,* University of Texas
- 1956 Lester Thonssen,* College of the City of New York
- 1957 Loren Reid,* University of Missouri
- 1958 Elise Hahn,* University of California
- 1959 John E. Dietrich,* Ohio State University
- 1960 Kenneth G. Hance,* Michigan State University
- 1961 Ralph G. Nichols,* University of Minnesota
- 1962 Waldo W. Braden,* Louisiana State University
- 1963 Ernest J. Wrage,* Northwestern University
- 1964 Robert T. Oliver*, Penn State University
- 1965 J. Jeffery Auer,* Indiana University
- 1966 John W. Black,* Ohio State University
- 1967 Wayne C. Minnick,* Florida State University
- 1968 Douglas Ehninger,* University of Iowa (Presidential Address)
- 1969 Marie Hochmuth Nichols,* University of Illinois (Presidential Address)
- 1970 Donald C. Bryant,* University of Iowa (Presidential Address)
- 1971 William S. Howell,* University of Minnesota (Presidential Address)
- 1972 Theodore Clevenger, Jr.,* Florida State University (Presidential Address)
- 1973 Robert C. Jeffrey,* University of Texas (Presidential Address)
- 1974 Samuel L. Becker,* University of Iowa (Presidential Address)
- 1975 Herman Cohen,* Penn State University (Presidential Address)
- 1976 Lloyd F. Bitzer,* University of Wisconsin
- 1977 Wallace A. Bacon,* Northwestern University (Presidential Address)
- 1978 Jane Blankenship,* University of Massachusetts (Presidential Address)
- 1979 Ronald R. Allen,* University of Wisconsin (Presidential Address)
- 1980 Malcolm O. Sillars,* University of Utah (Presidential Address)
- 1981 Anita Taylor,* George Mason University (Presidential Address)
- 1982 Frank E.X. Dance, University of Denver (Presidential Address)
- 1983 Kenneth E. Andersen,* University of Illinois (Presidential Address)
- 1984 John Waite Bowers,* University of Iowa (Presidential Address)
- 1985 Beverly Whitaker Long,* University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Presidential Address)
- 1986 Wayne Brockriede,* California State University, Fullerton** (Presidential Address)
- 1987 Patti P. Gillespie, University of Maryland (Presidential Address)
- 1988 Michael M. Osborn, Memphis State University (Presidential Address)
- 1989 Gustav W. Friedrich, University of Oklahoma (Presidential Address)
- 1990 Mark L. Knapp, University of Texas (Presidential Address)
- 1991 Dennis Gouran, Penn State University (Presidential Address)
- 1992 Dale Leathers,* University of Georgia (Presidential Address)
- 1993 David Zarefsky, Northwestern University (Presidential Address)
- 1994 Bruce E. Gronbeck,* University of Iowa (Presidential Address)
- 1995 Sharon A. Ratliffe, Golden West College (Presidential Address)
- 1996 James W. Chesebro,* Indiana State University (Presidential Address, Part I & Part II)
- 1997 Judith S. Trent,* University of Cincinnati (Presidential Address)
- 1998 John A. Daly, University of Texas, Austin (Presidential Address)
- 1999 Orlando L. Taylor,* Howard University (Presidential Address)
- 2000 Raymie E. McKerrow, Ohio University (Presidential Address)
- 2001 James L. Applegate, University of Kentucky (Presidential Address)
- 2002 V. William Balthrop, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Presidential Address)
- 2003 Judy C. Pearson, North Dakota State University (Presidential Address)
- 2004 Isa N. Engleberg, Prince George’s Community College (Presidential Address)
- 2005 Martha Watson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- 2006 H. Dan O'Hair,* University of Oklahoma (Presidential Address)
- 2007 J. Michael Sproule, St. Louis University (Presidential Address)
- 2008 Arthur P. Bochner, University of South Florida (Presidential Address)
- 2009 Betsy Wackernagel Bach, University of Montana, Missoula (Presidential Address)
- 2010 Dawn O. Braithwaite, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Presidential Address)
- 2011 Lynn Turner, Marquette University (Presidential Address)
- 2012 Richard West, Emerson College (Presidential Address)
- 2013 Steven Beebe, Texas State University (Presidential Address)
- 2014 Kathleen J. Turner, Davidson College (Presidential Address)
- 2015 Carole Blair, University of North Carolina (Presidential Address)
- 2016 Christina S. Beck, Ohio University (Presidential Address)
- 2017 Stephen J. Hartnett, University of Colorado Denver (Presidential Address)
- 2018 Ronald L. Jackson II, University of Cincinnati (Presidential Address)
- 2019 Star Muir, George Mason University (Presidential Address)
- 2020 Kent A. Ono, University of Utah (Presidential Address)
- 2021 David T. McMahan, Missouri Western State University (Presidential Address)
- 2022 Roseann M. Mandziuk, Texas State University (Presidential Address)
- 2023 Walid Afifi, University of California, Santa Barbara
*Deceased
**But for his untimely death, Donald Ecroyd, Temple University, would have succeeded to the presidency in 1986.