Merrill Hart

Mar 26, 2025 | c-ville.com | Merrill Hart |Sean Tubbs |Lisa Provence

University of Virginia President John T. Casteen III, the “father of the modern university,” died March 18 following a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81. Casteen served as UVA president from 1990 through 2010. Over that 20-year period, he built a reputation for expanding educational access and promoting UVA’s global reach. Amidst state budget cuts, UVA’s endowment grew from $488 million to $5.1 billion during Casteen’s presidency.