Elizabeth “Bettina” Blake was the academic dean at UMN Morris from 1979 to 1995. In her time as dean, she helped bring the campus into a new era with a fresh appreciation for UMN Morris's role as a public liberal arts college and she promoted the school's national reputation as an exemplar of liberal learning. As the first woman to serve as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Dean, Blake was committed to the advancement of women faculty and staff both on campus and within the academy. 

Samuel Schuman served as Chancellor of UMN Morris from 1998 to 2006. Hired in 1995 to serve as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Dean, he was named Interim Chancellor in 1998, a position that became permanent in 2000. A professor of English literature, Schuman specialized in the works of Shakespeare and Vladimir Nabokov.

John (Jack) Q. Imholte served as Provost and then Chancellor of UMN Morris from 1970 to 1990. Hired in 1960 to teach history and economics, Imholte was one of the original thirteen faculty members. He became assistant dean in 1967, and then three years later after Rodney Briggs stepped down, Imholte was named Provost. In 1985 after the provost title was renamed he assumed the role of chancellor. Under Imholte's watch the campus saw growth in enrollment and significant progress in the development of its physical plant.