ary ▁institutions ▁in ▁the ▁nation ▁to ▁be ▁identified ▁as ▁an ▁Ex empl ary ▁Model ▁Te acher ▁Education ▁program ▁by ▁Arthur ▁Lev ine ▁in ▁his ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁national ▁study ▁of ▁teacher ▁education ▁programs . ▁ ▁To ▁date , ▁the ▁young est ▁president ▁of ▁Emp oria ▁State ▁University ▁has ▁been ▁L yman ▁Be e cher ▁Kel log g , ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁president ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁the ▁Kansas ▁State ▁Normal . ▁When ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁state ▁normal ▁school ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁ 2 3 ▁years ▁old . ▁The ▁longest - ser ving ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁university ▁was ▁Thomas ▁W . ▁But cher , ▁who ▁held ▁the ▁office ▁for ▁thirty ▁years ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁The ▁first ▁university ▁al umn us ▁to ▁become ▁its ▁president ▁was ▁Joseph ▁H . ▁Hill ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁current ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Emp oria ▁State ▁University ▁is ▁All ison ▁Gar rett . ▁Gar rett ▁replaced ▁the ▁six teenth ▁president , ▁Michael ▁Sh on rock , ▁and ▁inter im ▁president , ▁Jack ie ▁Vi etti , ▁and ▁assumed ▁her ▁position ▁on ▁January ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁Gar rett , ▁who ▁was ▁previously ▁the ▁executive ▁vice ▁president ▁at ▁Ab il ene ▁Christian ▁University , ▁was ▁selected ▁as ▁Emp oria ▁State ▁University ' s ▁ 1 7 th ▁president ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2