FARGO (AP) - Steven Shirley gets surprised looks when he's introduced as the new Valley City State University president.

He's only 36.

"You get that sort of double take - are you the president?" said Shirley, who was 35 when he became the university's president in July.

The University of Mary on Dec. 5 named the Rev. James Shea, 33, as its new president. The Bismarck-based Roman Catholic university says he may be the youngest president in the United States.

Shea will succeed Sister Thomas Welder, who has been president Mary since 1978.

Less than 1 percent of 2,148 public and private university presidents were younger than 40 in 2006, according to a survey by the American Council on Education.

In that survey, 10 of the university presidents surveyed were in their 30s, the youngest being a 33-year-old and a 35-year-old.

Shirley had his first teaching job at the University of North Dakota at age 23 and became a vice president at Dakota State University in Madison, S.D., at 31.

Now as president, any questions about his age seem to go away after he starts talking to people, he said.

"Regardless of their age or my age, the common bond is Valley City State University," he said.

An advantage is that he has less of a generational gap with his students and is able to better connect with them, he said. He also relies on mentors who have more experience to aid him as he makes decisions.

Shirley attended a training academy for new university presidents put on by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Shea plans to attend a similar training course at Harvard and will job shadow the president of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

Shea has been the pastor at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Killdeer, and its mission church, St. Paul's in Halliday, since July 2007. He also is a religion teacher and chaplain at Trinity High School in Dickinson.

"I understand that I'm young and I don't have a lot of experience, but that's something that is easily cured," Shea said.

During Shea's interview for the job, board members' confidence in his ability to lead the university grew, said Martin White, chairman of the board of trustees.

"For a person 33 years old, it's pretty remarkable what he's accomplished," White said.