Richard Middleton Freeland (born May 13, 1941 in Orange, New Jersey) was President of Northeastern University from 1996 to 2006. He currently serves as the Commissioner of Higher Education for Massachusetts .

Freeland holds a bachelor's degree in American Studies from Amherst College and a doctorate in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania.

Freeland is married to Elsa Nunez, and has two children.

During Freeland's tenure, Northeastern University went through major institutional changes, including becoming a more selective institution, moving to semesters from quarters, and the opening of over $400 million worth of new facilities.

Educational Positions

• Clark University - Worcester (2007- 2009)

• * Mosakowski Professor of Higher Education

• University of Massachusetts - Boston (1970 - 1992)

• * Assistant to the President

• * Assistant to the Chancellor

• * Director of the Office of Educational Planning

• * Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

• City University of New York (1992 - 1996)

• * Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

• Northeastern University

• * President (1996 - 2006)

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Education

• *Commissioner of Higher Education (2008 - present)

Other Positions

• Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees for the Boston Plan for Excellence

• Director, American Council on Education

• Director, Boston Museum Project

• Director, Boston Private Industry Council

• Director, Globe Newspaper Corporation

• Director, Jobs for Massachusetts

• Governing Board Member, John Adams Innovation Institute

• Member of the Board of Trustees, WGBH

• President, Board of Governors in the World Association of Cooperative Education

Books

• The Truman Doctrine and the Origins of McCarthyism (1972)

• Academia's Golden Age (1992)