Frank Palmer Speare (1869-1954) was the first president of Northeastern University from 1898-1940. He began the evening program at the Boston YMCA that later became Northeastern. As founding president, he oversaw the launching of the university's evening law school, the now-defunct automobile school, the evening polytechnic schools, the school of commerce and finance, and the co-operative engineering school.

A man of diverse talents and interests, he was, in addition to being an educator, a sailor, farmer, and music enthusiast. He composed songs ("Silver Bay, a Song of Vacation Days") and other music (the "Northeastern March"), plays ("Mystic Waters, or The Spirit of Winnipesaukee."), and musicals.