Myles Brand Timeline | Myles Brand

A Myles Brand Timeline of Milestones

Dr. Myles Brand is best known for his legacy as President of the NCAA, where he led the organization through an era of academic and organizational reform. However, his journey began long before his presidency and will be remembered long after his death.

During his life, Brand was a philosopher, an administrator, a leader in higher education, and an advocate for student-athletes. Below is a chronological timeline of the major events that shaped and impacted Brand’s career, including some of his most influential works and speeches available here in the archive.

Instated as President of Indiana University

After he revived the University of Oregon, other universities began to recognize Brand as a powerful agent of change—and a good candidate for their administration. For his part, Brand longed to move back to the Midwest and the world of Big Ten athletics. So, when Indiana University offered, he accepted.

Appointed President of the University of Oregon

Brand first became President of the University of Oregon in 1989, when the university was facing significant financial hardship. During his tenure, Brand had to make some difficult decisions to save the school, but he helped the university recover with a new approach to secure funding.

Accepted Position of Provost at The Ohio State University

In 1986, Brand made the pivotal decision to become the Provost and Vice President at Ohio State, his first administrative role outside of his academic discipline. His time as Provost was a marked shift from his usual philosophical pursuits, preparing Brand for his future presidency and a lifetime of leadership.

Named the Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences at University of Arizona

At the University of Arizona, Brand continued to take on more leadership roles. He served as Head of the Philosophy Department for two years. He founded a revolutionary new Cognitive Science Program in 1985. And when the dean of the college left in 1983, Brand was appointed the new Dean

Appointed Chair of the Philosophy Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Brand enjoyed applying his philosophy to administrative positions, which offered opportunities to enact change and improve the lives of others. After a year as Assistant Chair at the University of Pittsburgh, Brand became Chair of the Philosophy Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He remained Chair until 1981,

Earned Ph.D. in Philosophy

Brand continued to pursue his studies at the University of Rochester and earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy only three years after his undergrad. His main focus of interest was action theory, which analytically examines intention and motivation. He wrote several essays and works on the topic, including his 1984 book

Graduated with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy

Brand originally attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, but he quickly realized he did not enjoy it. With the help and guidance of his teacher Robert Whalen, Brand instead found his love for philosophical discussion and graduated from RPI with his Bachelor’s in Philosophy in

Born May 17, 1942

Myles Brand grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he first discovered his passion for both reading and athletics. Brand disliked much of his high school experience, but he recalled many fond memories of playing basketball, running track, and exploring the local library for new books to read. Only later