List of presidents of the Oxford Union

Past elected presidents of the Oxford Union are listed below, with their college and the year/term in which they served. Iterum indicates that a person was serving a second term as president (which is not possible under the current Union rules).

Key to colleges

Presidents of the United Debating Society

These are the Presidents as listed

Presidents of the Oxford Union Society

1826–1850 These are the presidents as listed:

YearMichaelmasHilaryTrinity1826— Hassard Hume DodgsonResigned Digby Wrangham Richard DurnfordResigned E. E. Villiers (iterum)1826–27 R. A. Hornby Norman Hilton Macdonald Douglas SmithResigned Henry Tufnell J. Pearson Edward Twisleton1827–28 William Courtenay Herman Merivale Douglas Smith (iterum) Thomas Hobhouse A. Grant1828–29 Charles Baring Henry Wilberforce Thomas Acland H. W. Moncrieff1829–30 Henry ManningResigned Henry Wilberforce (iterum)Resigned Sidney Herbert James Gaskell 1830–31 James Gaskell William Gladstone James Bruce Joseph Anstice John Lyall1831–32 Earl of Lincoln G. K. Rickards Roundell PalmerFoster, p. 319.1832–33 William Ward Edward Cardwell Archibald Tait1833–34 Edward Massie Robert Lowe Charles Marriott William Sinclair1834–35 J. Adams William Ward (iterum) J. M. Capes1835–36 Edward Cardwell (iterum) T. Brancker John CornishFoster, p. 412.1836–37 W. N. Tilson-Marsh Henry CrippsFoster, p. 210. G. R. Moncrieff1837–38 James Hessey William Ridley W. C. LakeFoster, p. 67.1838–39 Henry Highton G. R. Moncrieff (iterum) H. W. Sullivan1839–40 William Buckley J. B. Blackett George RawlinsonFoster, p. 125.1840–41 C. T. Arnold R. C. PowlesFoster, p. 126. J. T. B. Landon1841–42 Richard CongreveFoster, p. 530. Melville Portal Drummond Chase1842–43 Edward Plumptre George BowenFoster, p. 355. W. H. Scott1843–44 John ColeridgeFoster, p. 124. H. M. White John MackarnessHollis, p. 243.1844–45 George Bowen(iterum) Alfred PottFoster, p. 323. John G. Cazenove1846–47 Francis Sandford John Conington R. J. Simpson1848–49 S. J. Hulme C. H. Stanton Earl of Dufferin W. B. Marriott1847–48 George Hunt Walter Congreve Montagu Blackett1848–49 G. R. Portal F. Meyrick George Boyle1849–50 William MilmanFoster, p. 414. J. R. K. Ralph Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen

1850–1875 YearMichaelmasHilaryTrinity1850–51 E. B. Lomer Alexander Mitchell Henry Smith1851–52 Frederick Lygon Walter Shirley Henry Oxenham1852–53 C. H. PearsonFoster, p. 153. J. Fitzgerald Benjamin RogersFoster, p. 532.1853–54 George GoschenFoster, p. 151. Arthur ButlerFoster, p. 149. Godfrey LushingtonFoster, p. 280.1854–55 George C. BrodrickFoster, p. 92. Robert Bartlett J. H. BridgesFoster, p. 154.1855–56 D. C. Lathbury Charles TurnerFoster, p. 127. W. F. Wilberforce1856–57 John Oakley Philip Eliot John MitchinsonFoster, p. 553.1857–58 T. R. Halcombe Thomas Fowle Charles BowenFoster, p. 56.1858–59 E. K. Bennet A. V. DiceyFoster, p. 274. A. O. Rutson1859–60 Peter Fogg Edward MooreFoster, p. 619. H. L. Harrison1860–61 Francis BeaumontFoster, p. 484.Who's Who 1906, p. 117 Kenelm DigbyFoster, p. 383. Thomas Green1861–62 J. R. MagrathFoster, p. 172. Auberon HerbertResignedFoster, p. 483. A. H. Beesly James Bryce1862–63 O. W. Tancock Reginald SmithFoster, p. 453. Reginald AbbotFoster, p. 282.1863–64 Alfred RobinsonFoster, p. 205. William FearonFoster, p. 216. Francis JeuneFoster, p. 599.1864–65 A. A. Clive Alfred Robinson(iterum) R. Robinson1865–66 Courtenay IlbertFoster, p. 68. Edward TalbotFoster, p. 423. George SimcoxFoster, p. 173.1866–67 William AwdryFoster, p. 181. William SandayFoster, p. 123. Lord Francis HerveyHollis, p. 2491867–68 James Strachan-DavidsonFoster, p. 64. Reginald CoplestonFoster, p. 487. Edward Talbot (iterum)1868–69 Mandell CreightonFoster, p. 95. C. T. Redington Reginald Copleston (iterum)1869–70 Charles Fyffe William DugganFoster, p. 246. A. H. Turner1870–71 John DoyleFoster, p. 272. Thomas GroseFoster, p. 174. Herbert James1871–72 Walter LockFoster, p. 312. Annan Bryce Henry Pope1872–73 Charles CruttwellFoster, p. 98. William M. Sinclair Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett1873–74 Robert Mowbray M. H. Gould H. H. Asquith1874–75 H. A. Venables Thomas RaleighFoster, p. 273. Arthur Sloman

1875–1900 YearMichaelmasHilaryTrinity1875–76 Herbert Paul George Savery Alfred Milner1876–77 Robert Haddon Dunbar Barton Viscount Lymington Arthur BaumannHollis, p. 251.1877–78 Robert HortonFoster, p. 218. William St John Brodrick Robert Germaine1878–79 Nathaniel Micklem Edward PoultonFoster, p. 514. F. R. Burrows1879–80 Edward Cook Richard Dawson B. R. Wise1880–81 George Curzon John Sargeaunt Charles White1881–82 Edward Horsburgh John HamiltonFoster, p. 326. A. N. Cumming1882–83 Michael Sadler W. H. Shaw Halford Mackinder1883–84 John PembertonFoster, p. 284. A. Dyson Williams William Worsley1884–85 Cosmo LangFoster, p. 275. George VidalFoster, p. 491. George Bellewes1885–86 Robert Cecil Anthony Hawkins C. Emmott1886–87/ Walter Phillips Charles Green C. J. Blacker1887–88 H. M. Godfray A. J. McGregor A. J. CarlyleFoster, p. 30.1888–89 Arthur Griffith-Boscawen Spurrier Parmiter Herbert Snowden1889–90 George Mortimer George Peel Frank Coller1890–91 Carl Knaus William Cozens-Hardy Lord Ampthill1891–92 A. E. Ripley John Magee James Galbraith1892–93 Robert Charles Phillimore C. H. Eliot William Lygon1893–94 H. W. Liversidge Lord Balcarres F. E. Smith1894–95 Herbert Morrah Hilaire Belloc P. J. Macdonell1895–96 R. C. Phillimore (iterum) John Simon Archibald Boyd-Carpenter1896–97 Francis Hirst Robert Johnson James Cleland1897–98 F. Lenwood Edmund Bentley Cyril Garbett1898–99 L. R. F. Oldershaw John Buchan Arthur Steel1899–1900 G. M. Gathorne-Hardy Robert Ensor Raymond AsquithKilled during the First World War

1900–1925 YearMichaelmasHilaryTrinity1900–01 Harold Baker Algernon Cecil T. Cuthbertson1901–02 George Tomlinson Sandie Lindsay Eric Macfadyen1902–03 Herbert du Parcq Herbert Asquith F. W. Curran1903–04 John Brooke William Temple W. A. Moore1904–05 E. S. Jose John Heath Alexander Shaw1905–06 M. H. Woods H. M. Paul Henry Lygon1906–07 Gervais Rentoul Neville Talbot Will Gladstone1907–08 W. S. Armour Charles Le Quesne Hugh Hallett1908–09 M. H. Richmond Ronald Knox Edgar Swain1909–10 Robert Laffan Robert S. A. Palmer Leonard Stein1910–11 A. W. Cockburn Nathaniel Micklem Raymond Bevir1911–12 Philip Guedalla Frank Griffith Robert Barrington-Ward1912–13 G. S. Woodhouse Walter Monckton W. J. Bland1913–14 Godfrey Talbot Ernest Roberts Alexander Wedderburn1914–15 Arthur Wiggin1915–161916–171917–181918–19 Leslie Hore-Belisha1919–20 Thomas Earp Constantine Gallop John Russell1920–21 Beverley Nichols Alec Beechman Cecil Ramage1921–22 Kenneth Lindsay John Evans Ralph Carson1922–23 Edward Marjoribanks J. Douglas Woodruff Gordon Bagnall1923–24 Christopher Hollis Christopher Scaife Gerald Gardiner1924–25 Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn Robert Bernays Vincent Lloyd-Jones

1925–1950 YearMichaelmasHilaryTrinity1925–26 Hugh Molson Gyles Isham Lindley Fraser1926–27 Alan Lennox-Boyd Roger Fulford John Playfair Price1927–28 Malcolm BreretonKilled during the Second World War Dingle Foot Aubrey Herbert1928–29 Somerset Stopford Brooke Roger Wilson Quintin Hogg1929–30 Michael Stewart Edgar Lustgarten J. P. W. Mallalieu1930–31 John Boyd-Carpenter John Foot Geoffrey Masterman Wilson1931–32 Toby O'Brien Arthur Irvine Brian Davidson1932–33 Christopher Smuts Frank Hardie Tony Greenwood1933–34 Michael Foot Dosoo Karaka Keith Steel-Maitland1934–35 W. G. Murray David Lewis James Hickerton1935–36 Brian Farrell Ian Harvey Bill ShebbeareKilled during the Second World War1936–37 James Brown Christopher Mayhew Patrick Anderson1937–38 Alan FyfeKilled during the Second World War Raymond Walton Philip Toynbee1938–39 Alan Wood Edward Heath Hugh Fraser1939–40 A. F. GilesElected but did not hold office because of war service Nicholas Henderson Madron Seligman Robin Edmonds1940–41 James Comyn Indar Bahadoorsingh Kenneth Riddle1941–42 Michael Kinchin-Smith Gershon Hirsch F. P. R. Hinchliffe1942–43 James Cameron Tudor Herbert Clarke Courtney Blackmore1943–44 Godfrey le QuesneSir Godfray Le Quesne, The Times 2 December 2013 (subscription required) Kenneth Lamb Fernando Henriques1944–45 Tony Pickford Alan GibsonElected but did not hold office because of war service Rudi Weisweiller Anthony Walton1945-46 John Long Basil Wigoder Anthony Crosland1946-47 Ronald Brown Roger Gray Anthony Wedgwood Benn1947–48 Peter Kroyer Clive Wigram Edward Boyle1948–49 Seymour Hills Peter Kirk Rodney Donald1949–50 Dick Faber Uwe Kitzinger Robin Day

1950–1975 YearMichaelmasHilaryTrinity1950–51 Godfrey Smith Jeremy Thorpe William Rees-Mogg1951–52 Ivan Yates Peter Blaker Howard Shuman1952–53 Patrick Mayhew Bryan Magee John Peters1953–54 Andrew Cuninghame Tyrell Burgess Raghavan N. Iyer1954–55 Michael Heseltine Jeremy Isaacs Anthony Howard1955–56 Desmond Watkins Alec Grant Roy Dixon1956–57 Edmund Ions Jeremy Lever Peter Brooke1957–58 Brian Walden Lalith Athulathmudali Stuart Griffiths1958–59 Ron Owen Lakshman Kadirgamar Anthony Newton1959–60 Joe Trattner Ian Lyon Peter Jay1960–61 Robert Rowland Phillip Whitehead Paul Foot1961–62 Howard Preece Hugh Stephenson John McDonnell1962–63 Michael Beloff Girish Karnad Jeffrey Jowell1963–64 Anthony Hart Garth Pratt Lord James Douglas-Hamilton1964–65 Eric AbrahamsEric Anthony Abrahams (1940-2011), National Library of Jamaica Neil MacCormick Tariq Ali1965–66 Douglas Hogg Joshua Bamfield Jeremy Beloff1966–67 Montek Singh Ahluwalia Ronald Cohen Stephen Marks1967–68 Robert Jackson Geraldine Jones William Waldegrave1968–69 Ian Glick David Walter Colin Youlden1969–70 Gyles Brandreth Guy Harkin Stephen Milligan1970–71 Eric Parsloe Michael House Susan Richards1971–72 Christopher Tookey Julian Priestley Pradeep Mitra Patric Dickinson1972–73 Philip McDonagh Michael Austerberry Colin Maltby1973–74 David Warren Simon Walker Michael Soole1974–75 Robert McDonagh Robert Scoble Victor van Amerongen

1975–2000 YearMichaelmasHilaryTrinity1975–76 David Soskin Andrew Bell Colin Moynihan1976–77 Richard Norton Benazir Bhutto Victoria Schofield1977–78 Damian Green Nicholas O'Shaughnessy John Harrison1978–79 Daniel Moylan Alan Duncan Philip May1979–80 Michael Crick Warwick Lightfoot Nicholas Prettejohn1980–81 Rupert Soames Andrew Sutcliffe Alexandra Jones1981–82 William Hague Kevin Brennan Paul Thompson1982–83 Christopher Wortley Hilali Noordeen Andrew Sullivan1983–84 Neale Stevenson Malcolm Bull Melvyn Stride1984–85 Laurence Grafstein Roland Rudd Neil Sherlock1985–86 Anthony Goodman Jeya Wilson Boris Johnson1986–87 Angus McCullough Simon Stevens Jessica Pulay1987–88 Anthony Frieze Michael Gove Duncan Gray1988–89 Andrew McCulloch Adam Bruce Stefan Green1989–90 Diana Gerald Ed Lazarus Jeremy Quin1990–91 Melanie Johnson Oliver Campbell Damian Hinds1991–92 Nicholas Edgar Graeme Halkerston Adrian Gannon1992–93 Christopher Hall James Robertson Katherine Wade1993–94 Toby Lewis Kate Wilson Peter Gowers1994–95 Jeremy Green Robert Palmer David Pinto-Duschinsky1995–96 Matt Guy Jonathan Wolf Paul Kenward1996–97 Jennifer Carter-Manning Rob Harrington Oli Evans1997–98 Sam Gyimah Clare Dixon Ellie Blagbrough1998–99 Helen Eastman Theo Mills Nicky Black1999–2000 Ben Seifert Lucy Aitkens Jeff Bell

2000–present Year Term Michaelmas Hilary Trinity 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 (acting) 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 (acting) 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27

Other notable officeholders The 3rd Marquess of Salisbury was Union secretary in Michaelmas 1848.

Harold Macmillan was secretary of the union in Hilary 1914, then junior treasurer (elected unopposed, which was then very unusual) in Trinity 1914; but for the war he would "almost certainly" have been president.Horne 1988, p. 22

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was treasurer in Trinity 1924.

Humayun Kabir was librarian in 1931.

Roy Jenkins served as librarian and secretary and lost two presidential elections.