Past Presidents of the British Academy

List of past Presidents of the British Academy, with links to biographical information (and to their Presidential Addresses).

1902–07 The Rt Hon Lord (Donald) Reay
Presidential Addresses: 1903; 1904; 1905; 1906; 1907

1907–09 Sir E Maunde Thompson
Presidential Addresses: 1908; 1909

1909–10 Mr S H Butcher
Presidential Addresses: October 1909; 1910

1910–10 Acting President: Lord Reay
Presidential Addresses: 1911

1911–13 Sir Adolphus W Ward
Presidential Addresses: October 1911; 1912; October 1912; 1913

1913–17 The Rt Hon Viscount (James) Bryce of Dechmont
Presidential Addresses: 1914; 1915; 1916; 1917

1917–21 Sir Frederic G Kenyon
Presidential Addresses: 1918; 1919; 1920; 1921

1921–28 The Rt Hon (Arthur) the Earl of Balfour

1928–32 The Rt Hon H A L Fisher
Presidential Addresses: 1932

1932–36 Dr J W Mackail
Presidential Addresses: 1933; 1934; 1935; 1936

1936–40 Sir W David Ross
Presidential Addresses: 1937; 1938; 1939; 1940

1940–46 Sir John H Clapham
Presidential Addresses: 1941; 1942; 1943; 1944; 1945

1946–50 Sir Harold I Bell
Presidential Addresses: 1947; 1948; 1949; 1950

1950–54 Sir Charles K Webster
Presidential Addresses: 1951; 1952; 1953; 1954

1954–58 Sir George N Clark
Presidential Addresses: 1955; 1956; 1957; 1958

1958–62 Sir C Maurice Bowra
Presidential Addresses: 1959; 1960; 1961; 1962

1962–67 Lord (Lionel) Robbins
Presidential Addresses: 1963; 1964; 1965; 1966; 1967

1967–71 Sir Kenneth C Wheare
Presidential Addresses: 1968; 1969; 1970; 1971

1971–74 Sir Denys L Page
Presidential Addresses: 1972; 1973; 1974

1974–78 Sir Isaiah Berlin
Presidential Addresses: 1975; 1976; 1977; 1978

1978–81 Sir Kenneth Dover
Presidential Addresses: 1979; 1980; 1981

1981–85 The Revd Professor W O Chadwick
Presidential Addresses: 1982; 1983

1985–89 Lord (Randolph) Quirk

1989–93 Sir Anthony Kenny
Presidential Addresses: 1992; 1993

1993–97 Sir Keith Thomas
Presidential Addresses: 1994 & 1995; 1996; 1997

1997–2001 Sir Tony Wrigley
Presidential Addresses: 1998; 1999; 2000; 2001

2001–05 Viscount (Garry) Runciman of Doxford
Presidential Addresses: Centenary Dinner 2002; 2003

2005–09 Baroness O’Neill
Presidential Addresses: 2008

2009–13 Professor Sir Adam Roberts
Presidential Addresses: 2009; 2010; 2011; 2012; 2013

2013–17 Baron (Nicholas) Stern of Brentford
Presidential Addresses: 2013; 2014; 2015; 2017

2017–21 Professor Sir David Cannadine
Presidential Addresses: 2017; 2018; 2019; 2020; 2021

2021–25 Professor Dame Julia Black
Presidential Addresses: 2022; 2023; 2024; 2025