Claude Peter Magrath (/məˈɡrɔː/, born April 23, 1933) is a higher education administrator who has served as provost or president at multiple American universities. Magrath was born on April 23, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York and received political science degrees as an undergraduate at the University of New Hampshire and as a Ph.D. at Cornell University. He began his teaching and administrative career at Brown University during 1961–68 and later served as interim president at the University of Nebraska (where he was provost and held other positions, 1968–72).