The chancellor is the ceremonial head of Durham University, with the formal duties of conferring degrees at congregations and of being an ambassador for the university. They are nominated by the council and senate in joint session and appointed by convocation, determined by the majority of votes of members of congregation present and voting. The incumbent is Fiona Hill, who was appointed by convocation in November 2022 and installed in June 2023.
Until 1909, the university was governed by the dean and chapter of Durham Cathedral, with the warden (held ex officio by the Dean of Durham from 1862) being both the formal and executive head of the university. Following the implementation of statutes made in 1909 under the University of Durham Act 1908, the warden became the chancellor with the sub-warden becoming the vice-chancellor, meaning Durham was, like most other British universities, headed by a chancellor.
Chronological list Year Warden 1832 Charles Thorp (Archdeacon of Durham, Master of University College) 1862 George Waddington 1869 William Lake 1894 George William Kitchin (later as Chancellor of the University of Durham from 1909)
Year Chancellor 1909 George William Kitchin (Dean of Durham, Warden of the University of Durham since 1894) 1913 Henry Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland (Lord High Steward; Treasurer of the Household) 1919 John Lambton, 3rd Earl of Durham (Lord High Steward) 1929 Alan Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland (Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland; Treasurer of the Household) 1931 Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry (Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal in 1935) 1950 G. M. Trevelyan 1958 Roger Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough 1971 Malcolm MacDonald 1981 Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias (first non-royal female chancellor of a British university) 1992 Peter Ustinov 2005 Bill Bryson 2012 Thomas Allen 2023 Fiona Hill
See also List of vice-chancellors and wardens of Durham University List of Durham University people History of Durham University
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