J. A. O. Preus III

Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus III (March 20, 1953 – August 4, 2022) was an American preacher and academic administrator who was the president of Concordia University, Irvine from 1998 to 2009. Previously, he was a professor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. On September 23, 2009, he resigned as the university president to become the executive vice president of Mission Advancement for Bethesda Lutheran Communities in Watertown, Wisconsin.

Early life Preus was born in Minnesota to the Rev. Dr. J.A.O. Preus II and his wife Delpha Mae Holleque.

Education Preus studied Spanish and American studies and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1975.

Career Upon graduation from the seminary, he was ordained in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and served congregations in St. Louis and Rancho Palos Verdes, California. He also served as a chaplain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 24th Regiment of the U.S. Marine Corps during the First Gulf War in 1990–91. His extended family has been prominent in American Lutheranism, especially within the LCMS. His son Jack Preus IV is a teacher and sports coach.

He died on August 4, 2022, at the age of 69.