David A. Strand was the fifteenth president of Illinois State University, located in Normal, Illinois. He served at the university, in various capacities, consistently from 1978 until his retirement in 1999. He served as the university's president from 1995 to 1999 and helped gain ground on much of the school's educational revamping. He helped Illinois State University match up to other peer schools in the nation. Early life David A. Strand was born in 1935, near the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Menominee). He and his family had relocated to Evanston, Illinois in his early childhood. He attended Evanston Township High School and went on to pursue his higher education at both Carroll University and Indiana University. Education Upon graduating high school, Strand went on to attend Carroll College (later renamed Carroll University) in Waukesha, WI. He pursued a bachelor's degree and graduated in four years. Post-bachelor's, he went on to attend Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. There, he pursued both a master's degree and a doctoral degree. He completed his studies with a Doctorate of Education, intending to pursue various roles in educational leadership. After his graduation circa 1959, Strand held a variety of leadership roles, namely at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It was there that he met former Illinois State University president Lloyd Watkins, who later elected Strand into the university's executive office. Leadership After serving a variety of positions (including serving as interim president) at Southeast Missouri, Strand was elected as an executive officer at Illinois State University by Watkins, who was then serving as the school's president (circa 1979). Two years after his start at Illinois State, Strand was upgraded to vice president of the Business and Finance department. This put him at the forefront of the university's financial administration. In 1984, he was elected as provost of the Business and Finance department, after serving a year in an interim position. Eventually, the department replaced Strand with fellow staff member John Urice. A year later, Strand was once again promoted, this time as interim President of the entire university. He was thought to be a good fit for the position by several other members of the university administration. Strand initially planned to retire in 1996, prior to his time as interim president. Once elected officially, he served as the school's leader from 1995 to 1999, and an attempt to find a successor