President-Emeritus
Louisville, KY
James B. Appleberry is the former President of Appleberry Enterprises and Consultant for the Academic Search, Inc. He is president-emeritus of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and president-emeritus of Northern Michigan University. He also was president of Pittsburg State University in Kansas. He has served as a Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of Thoroughbred Technologies, a company he helped form in 2000 and recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2002 as one of the 100 fastest growing companies in America. In 2010, he served as Interim President of Academic Search, Inc.
During his tenure at AASCU, Appleberry counseled many presidents, chancellors, and boards on issues of leadership and change; he became a confidant of countless university leaders, and was called on frequently for information and nominations by trustees and search firms looking to know better the leadership qualities of sitting presidents and provosts. He was instrumental in the development of an organization to serve urban and metropolitan universities, and was recognized publicly by the US Secretary of Education Richard Riley for his pivotal role in the development of national student aid policy. He has also authored numerous articles on the future of higher education.
He received bachelors, masters and Education Specialist degrees from Central Missouri State University. He joined the faculty of Oklahoma State University following completion of his doctorate at OSU in 1968. He holds distinguished alumni awards from both Central Missouri State University and Oklahoma State University, and nearly a dozen honorary doctorates.
Appleberry has served on numerous national committees. He was vice chair of the National Center for Education Statistics Advisory Council, and served on the NCAA Presidents Commission. He has also served on numerous state and local boards and committees. His biography appears in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the Midwest, and Two Thousand Notable Americans.