Josiah Little Pickard

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Josiah Little Pickard

| image = File:J. L. Pickard University of Iowa(cropped).jpg

| birth_date = March 17, 1824

| birth_place =

| death_date = March 28, 1914 (aged 90)

| death_place =

| office = 6th President of the University of Iowa

| predecessor = Christian W. Slagle (acting)

| successor = Charles Ashmead Schaeffer

| term_start = {{start date|1878}}

| term_end = {{start date|1887}}

| office1= 3rd Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools

| term_start1=June 1864

| term_end1=June 1877

| predecessor1= William H. Wells

| successor1= Duane Doty

| order2= 6th

| office2= Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin

| term_start2= 1860

| term_end2= 1864

| predecessor2= Lyman Draper

| successor2= John G. McMynn

| party = Republican

| residence =

| profession =

}}

Josiah Little Pickard (March 17, 1824 – March 28, 1914) was the Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin, 1860–1864, and the sixth President of the University of Iowa, 1878–1887.

Born in Rowley, Massachusetts, Pickard grew up on a farm near Brunswick, Maine and went to Lewiston Falls Academy in Maine. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1844. In 1845, he moved west and then moved to Wisconsin, in 1864, and was principal of Platteville Academy now University of Wisconsin–Platteville. From 1860 until 1864, Pickard was Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin. During that time he was on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.

In 1864, he resigned as Superintendent of Public Instruction and moved to Chicago, Illinois to be head of the public school system, a job he began in June of that year. He served until resigning in June 1877 (he alleged that the school board had forced him out in order to appoint his assistant superintendent Duane Doty, which Doty denied).{{cite book |title=History of Chicago, Illinois. v.2. |publisher=Munsell & co |location=Chicago and New York City |pages=89 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuo.ark:/13960/t8tb10r42&view=1up&seq=117 |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Tavardian |first1=Arthur Norman |url=https://ecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4241&context=luc_diss |title=Battle Over the Chicago Schools: The Superintendency of William Mcandrew |publisher=Loyola University Chicago |access-date=29 December 2020 |date=1992}}

Finally, he went to the University of Iowa and served as president until his retirement in 1887. He also was President of the State Historical Society of Iowa. After 1889, he retired and from 1900, Pickard lived in retirement with his daughter in Cupertino, California.[http://www.iowalum.com/magazine/presidents/06-pickard.html Josiah Little Pickard, University of Iowa][http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=1715&search&term=pickert Josiah Little Pickard, Wisconsin Historical Society]

Pickard died at his daughter's home in Cupertino after falling from a streetcar and breaking his leg.{{cite news|title=Educator of Note is Dead|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14194321/josiah_little_pickard_18241914/|newspaper=Reno Gazette-Journal|date=March 30, 1914|page=8|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = October 5, 2017}} {{Open access}}{{cite news|title=Dr. Josiah L. Pickard Dies; Former Head of Schools|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14194321/josiah_little_pickard_18241914/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=May 5, 1914|page=10|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = October 5, 2017}} {{Open access}}{{cite news|title=To Bury Dr. Pickard in Chicago|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14194363/josiah_little_pickard_18241914/|newspaper=The Daily Times|date=May 6, 1914|page=12|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = October 5, 2017}} {{Open access}} He was buried in Chicago.