Bob Stearns was the first native Coloradan, the first alumnus (BA’14, DhL’54), and the first dean to become President of CU.

During the first years of his administration, Stearns, the Law School Dean from 1931-1939, faced budget deficits while the storms of World War II were gathering.

Like Norlin, Stearns was a strong Jeffersonian democrat who believed an educated populace was necessary to withstand the appeals of demagogues like Hitler. Although willing to adjust to the national needs during the war by introducing national defense activities to campus, Stearns was insistent that educational goals not be compromised ant that war-time changes were only temporary.