Arthur Cutts Willard (August 12, 1878 – November 11, 1960) was the ninth president of the University of Illinois and an innovator in the field of heating and ventilation.

[3] Although he served as president during a difficult time for the university and the nation, he continued to have the highest expectations of his students.

[3] During his time as president he obtained funding for construction and addition of many buildings on the University of Illinois campuses.

[3] Willard strongly believed education needed to be more broad and focus on the social and economic problems facing the nation.

[3] In 1913, he left Kentucky to come to the University of Illinois to serve as an assistant professor in heating and ventilation.

Willard also served as a consultant on ventilation to chemical war service and adviser to national public health.

One of the most challenging aspects of the project was the ventilation system; it was crucial that a method for removing dangerous fumes from the tunnel was developed.

[9] In the fall of 1933, he began serving as dean of the College of Engineering after the position was made vacant by Professor Milo S. Ketchum.

This opportunity will be met with all the resources at the disposal of the faculty and scientific staff of the University both in Urbana–Champaign and in Chicago.

"[11] Willard received the presidency during a difficult time in history; the nation was facing the Great Depression.

[14] Willard also argued that scientists focused on technology, therefore the social and economic problems of society have not been recognized.

[16] Willard's dedication to this issue was evident in his membership to the newly created Illinois Highway Safety Commission; the purpose of the committee was to find a solution to deaths caused by reckless driving.

The committee also sought to study accident problem and correlate efforts between state and local authorities.

University of Illinois Foundation was established to assist in obtaining funding for the new student center.