Herbert Schooling served as Dean of Faculties, Dean of Education and Interim Chancellor before his appointment to Chancellor in 1971. He reorganized several campus positions, and created the role of Provost for Academic Affairs, Administration and Health Affairs. During his tenure the Hearnes Multipurpose Building was dedicated, and new alumni center, general classroom building, mathematics building and veterinary clinic were built.

As the first woman to lead a land-grant university, Barbara Uehling became a national celebrity.

Haskell Monroe presided during UMC's Sesquicentennial Celebration year.

Brady Deaton came to the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1989 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He served as Chairman of the Department of Agricultural Economics in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources before becoming Deputy Chancellor and then Provost for the University.

Deaton served as Interim Chancellor from September until October 2004 when President Floyd appointed him Chancellor.

Stephen J. Owens served as Chancellor for the Univeristy of Missouri-Columbia on an interim basis from November 2013 until February 2014, following Brady Deaton's retirement. At the time, Owens was General Counsel of the University of Missouri System, a position to which he was appointed in 2008.

Robert Bowen Loftin became Chancellor for the Univeristy of Missouri-Columbia on February 1st, 2014. After competing his PhD in Physics from Rice University, Loftin served as the executive director of NASA’s Virtual Environments Research Institute at the University of Houston, as well as chair of the Department of Computer Sciences. Loftin served as president of his alma mater, Texas A&M, from 2010 to 2013.

Henry C. "Hank" Foley was named interim Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia in November, 2015. Prior to being named interim chancellor, Foley was hired as executive vice president for academic affairs, research and economic development at the University of Missouri System in 2013. Foley earned a master’s degree in chemistry from Purdue University and a doctorate in physical and inorganic chemistry from Penn State.

Garnett Stokes came to the University of Missouri-Columbia in February, 2015, after serving as provost, executive vice president for academic affairs, and interim president at Florida State University. Stokes became interim chancellor on May 3rd, 2017. Stokes earned a B.A. in psychology from Carson-Newman College, and then later M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Georgia in industrial/organizational psychology.

Alexander Cartwright became Chancellor for the University of Missouri-Columbia on August 1st, 2017. Cartwright previously served as provost and executive vice president of the State University of New York system administration. Cartwright earned a B.S. and Ph.D in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Iowa.