David Maxwell (born December 2, 1944) served as the 12th president of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa from 1999 until 2015.
Maxwell served as president of Drake University from May 1999 through June, 2015, and held a faculty appointment as professor of literature.
An internationally published scholar on the prose of Russian writer Anton Chekhov during his faculty career, Maxwell writes frequently on higher education issues for professional journals and other media outlets.
As a senior administrator, he has had significant experience in a broad range of areas that include: program review and prioritization; institutional change; strategic planning; shared governance and board development; internationalization and globalization; integration of liberal arts education with preparation for careers; fundraising and community relations.
In 2011, Maxwell received the Chief Executive Leadership Award from District VI, Council for Advancement and Support of Education.