Katherine Haley Will was the first woman to serve as president of Gettysburg College, holding office from 2004 to 2008. She also chaired the Annapolis Group, an organization of more than 100 of the leading national independent liberal arts colleges.
Developments during her tenure included the formulation of a long-term campus facilities master plan, a move to a five-course teaching load to allow faculty to spend more individual time with students, creation of a comprehensive student career networking program, approval of a new Center for Athletics, Recreation and Fitness, and expansion of the Eisenhower Institute of Public Policy at Gettysburg College. During her time in office, Gettysburg received a record number of applications from prospective students and achieved a record graduation rate.
She previously served as president of Whittier College in California and as provost and professor of English at Kenyon College. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees in English at the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana. She completed her bachelor of arts degree at Tufts University, which awarded her an honorary doctoral degree in 2002.