List of NSF Directors, 1950 - present

NSF Directors, Terms and Fields of Science

Director	Term	Field of Science
Dr. Alan T. Waterman	April, 1951 - June, 1963	Physics
Dr. Leland J. Haworth	July, 1963 - June, 1969	Physics
Dr. William D. McElroy+	July, 1969 - January, 1972	Biochemistry
Dr. H. Guyford Stever	February, 1972 - August, 1976	Physics
Dr. Richard C. Atkinson    (acting)	August, 1976 - May, 1977	Psychology
Dr. Richard C. Atkinson	May, 1977 - June, 1980	Psychology
Dr. Donald N. Langenberg    (acting)	July, 1980 - December, 1980	Physics
Dr. John B. Slaughter	December, 1980 - October, 1982	Engineering
Dr. Edward A. Knapp	November, 1982 - August, 1984	Physics
Mr. Erich Bloch	September, 1984 - August, 1990	Engineering
Dr. Frederick M. Bernthal    (acting)	September, 1990 - March, 1991	Nuclear Chemistry/     Physics
Dr. Walter E. Massey	March, 1991 - April, 1993	Physics
Dr. Frederick M. Bernthal    (acting)	April, 1993 - October, 1993	Nuclear Chemistry/     Physics
Dr. Neal F. Lane	October, 1993 - August, 1998	Physics
Dr. Rita R. Colwell	August, 1998 - February, 2004	Microbiology
Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr.    (acting)	February, 2004- November, 2004	Engineering
Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr.	November, 2004- May 2010	Engineering
Dr. Cora B. Marrett    (acting)	June 2010 - October 2010	Sociology
Dr. Subra Suresh	October 2010 - March 2013	Engineering
Dr. Cora B. Marrett    (acting)	March 2013 - March 2014	Sociology
Dr. France A. Córdova	March 2014 - March 2020	Astrophysics
Dr. Kelvin K. Droegemeier    (acting)	March 2020 - June 2020	Atmospheric Science
Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan	June 2020 - Present	Computer Science

⁺By presidential order, Dr. Louis Levin, Executive Associate Director, also served as Acting Director from July 1,1969 to July 14, 1969 (until Dr. William McElroy's swearing-in on July 14, 1969).