Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    College Advising
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
Ticker circle logo

The Ticker

Breaking news from all corners of academe.

U. of Missouri President and Chancellor Resign Amid Mounting Protests Over Racism

By Andy Thomason November 9, 2015

[Last updated (11/9/2015, 5:40 p.m.) with news that R. Bowen Loftin would also resign.]

A week after a graduate student, Jonathan Butler, said he

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

[Last updated (11/9/2015, 5:40 p.m.) with news that R. Bowen Loftin would also resign.]

A week after a graduate student, Jonathan Butler, said he wouldn’t eat until Timothy M. Wolfe, president of the University of Missouri system, resigned, Mr. Wolfe announced on Monday he would step down.

The flagship campus’s chancellor, R. Bowen Loftin, announced late Monday afternoon that he too would step down from his post. Specifically, he said he would be making the transition to a new, research-focused role in the system by the end of the year.

ADVERTISEMENT

The pair of surprising announcements, which bookended a special meeting of the system’s governing board, came amid increasingly fierce calls for Mr. Wolfe to resign over concerns about racism at the Columbia flagship. Giving the movement national prominence, university football players over the weekend threatened a boycott until Mr. Wolfe resigned.

While taking responsibility for “frustration” and “inaction,” Mr. Wolfe on Monday also criticized the dialogue that led to his resignation. “It is my belief we stopped listening to each other,” he said, according to a transcript posted by The Columbia Missourian. “We didn’t respond or react. We got frustrated with each other, and we forced individuals like Jonathan Butler to take immediate action and unusual steps to effect change.

“This is not, I repeat not, the way change should come about,” he added.

Tensions over racism have been festering in Columbia for months, beginning in September with the student-body president’s viral Facebook post stating that he had been accosted by men who shouted racial slurs. A movement calling itself Concerned Student 1950 has been holding demonstrations for weeks on the issue, and Mr. Butler began a hunger strike on November 2.

But the movement gained wider attention on Saturday, when black members of the university’s football team said they would boycott team activities until Mr. Wolfe resigned. The coach, Gary Pinkel, on Sunday tweeted a statement of support for the players.


The Mizzou Family stands as one. We are united. We are behind our players. #ConcernedStudent1950 GP pic.twitter.com/fMHbPPTTKl

— Coach Gary Pinkel (@GaryPinkel) November 8, 2015

Mr. Wolfe had resisted calls to resign as late as Sunday evening, saying he was “confident that we can come together to improve the student experience on our campuses.”

ADVERTISEMENT

In a statement on Monday, Jay Nixon, the state’s Democratic governor, said Mr. Wolfe’s resignation was “a necessary step toward healing and reconciliation on the University of Missouri campus.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Butler ended his hunger strike shortly after Mr. Wolfe’s announcement:


The #MizzouHungerStrike is officially over!

— JB. (@_JonathanButler) November 9, 2015


This is only the first step! More change is to come!! #TheStruggleContinues #ConcernedStudent1950

— JB. (@_JonathanButler) November 9, 2015

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
Thomason_Andy.jpg
About the Author
Andy Thomason
Andy Thomason is an assistant managing editor at The Chronicle and the author of the book Discredited: The UNC Scandal and College Athletics’ Amateur Ideal.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Protesters attend a demonstration in support of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, March 10, 2025, in New York.
First Amendment Rights
Noncitizen Professors Testify About Chilling Effect of Others’ Detentions
Photo-based illustration of a rock preciously suspended by a rope over three beakers.
Broken Promise
U.S. Policy Made America’s Research Engine the Envy of the World. One President Could End That.
lab-costs-promo.jpg
Research Expenses
What Does It Cost to Run a Lab?
Research illustration Microscope
Dreams Deferred
How Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Are Derailing Young Scholars’ Careers

From The Review

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan keeps his emotions in check during a news conference, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Charlottesville. Va. Authorities say three people have been killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia and a student is in custody. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The Review | Opinion
Jim Ryan’s Resignation Is a Warning
By Robert Zaretsky
Photo-based illustration depicting a close-up image of a mouth of a young woman with the letter A over the lips and grades in the background
The Review | Opinion
When Students Want You to Change Their Grades
By James K. Beggan
Photo-based illustration of a student and a professor, each occupying a red circle in a landscape of scribbles.
The Review | Opinion
Meet Students Where They Are? Maybe Not.
By Mark Horowitz

Upcoming Events

Chronfest25_Virtual-Events_Page_862x574.png
Chronicle Festival: Innovation Amid Uncertainty
07-16-Advising-InsideTrack - forum assets v1_Plain.png
The Evolving Work of College Advising
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin