The Board of Regents of historically Black Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis has unanimously selected Corey S. Bradford, Sr. as the educational institution’s 20th president. He will take office on May 1. Dr. Bradford succeeds former president Dwaun Warmack, who left Harris-Stowe in August 2019 to become president of Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina (See JBHE post.).
Harris-Stowe State Univerity enrolls just over 1,700 students, according to the latest figures supplied to the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up 82 percent of the student body.
A native of St. Louis, Dr. Bradford has worked in higher education for more than 26 years. Most recently, he has been serving as senior vice president for business affairs at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. Earlier, he served for 16 years within the Southern Illinois University System in various leadership positions, including the assistant vice president for financial & administrative affairs and assistant to the vice president for planning and budget.
“I am honored and humbled to be appointed the 20th president of Harris-Stowe State University. I have great admiration for what Harris-Stowe has achieved for over 160 years, and I am extremely excited to be a part of the university’s bright future,” said Dr. Bradford. “This is also a dynamic time for me to return to my hometown to advance Harris-Stowe’s impact on our citizens and lead its growing reputation as an innovator in the HBCU community.”
Dr. Bradford earned a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Southern Illinois University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mathematics from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
