List of presidents of the Institute of Physics

The President of the Institute of Physics is the head of the governing Council of the Institute of Physics. The history of the Institute, from its founding as the Physical Society of London in 1874 through to today's Institute has meant that the name of the post held has varied. The current President is Michele Dougherty.

Presidents of the Physical Society of London

1874–1876 John H Gladstone 1876–1878 George C Foster 1878–1880 William G Adams 1880–1882 The Lord Kelvin of Largs 1882–1884 Robert B Clifton 1884–1886 Frederick Guthrie 1886–1888 Balfour Stewart 1888–1890 Arnold W Reinold 1890–1892 William E Ayrton 1892–1893 George F FitzGerald 1893–1895 Arthur W Rucker 1895–1897 William de W Abney 1897–1899 Shelford Bidwell 1899–1901 Oliver J Lodge 1901–1903 Silvanus P Thompson 1903–1905 Richard T Glazebrook 1905–1906 John H Poynting 1906–1908 John Perry 1908–1910 Charles Chree 1910–1912 Hugh Longbourne Callendar 1912–1914 Arthur Schuster 1914–1916 Sir Joseph J. Thomson 1916–1918 Charles V Boys 1918–1920 Charles Herbert Lees

Presidents of the Physical Society

1920–1922 Sir William Bragg 1922–1924 Alexander Russell 1924–1926 F E Smith 1926–1928 O W Richardson 1928–1930 W H Eccles 1930–1932 Sir Arthur Eddington 1932–1934 A O Rankine 1934–1936 Lord Rayleigh 1936–1938 Thomas Smith 1938–1941 Sir Allan Ferguson 1941–1943 Sir Charles Darwin 1943–1945 E N de Costa Andrade 1945–1947 D Brunt 1947–1949 G I Finch 1949–1950 S Chapman 1950–1952 L F Bates 1952–1954 R Whiddington 1954–1956 H S W Massey 1956–1958 N F Mott 1958–1960 J A Ratcliffe

Presidents of the Institute of Physics

1919–1921 Sir Richard T Glazebrook 1921–1923 Sir Joseph Thomson 1923–1925 Sir Charles Parsons 1925–1927 Sir William Bragg 1927–1929 Sir Frank Dyson 1929–1931 William H Eccles 1931–1933 The Lord Rutherford of Nelson 1933–1935 Sir Henry Lyons 1935–1937 Alfred Fowler 1937–1939 Clifford C Paterson 1939–1943 Sir Lawrence Bragg 1943–1946 Sir Frank Smith 1946–1948 Arthur M Tyndall 1948–1950 Francis C Toy 1950–1952 William E Curtis 1952–1954 Charles Sykes 1954–1956 Sir John Cockroft 1956–1958 Oliver W Humphreys 1958–1960 Sir George Thomson

Presidents of the Institute of Physics and the Physical Society

1960–1962 Sir John Cockroft 1962–1964 Sir Alan Herries Wilson 1964–1966 Sir Gordon Sutherland 1966–1968 Sir James Taylor 1968–1970 Malcolm Gavin

Presidents of the Institute of Physics

1970–1972 James W Menter 1972–1974 Sir Brian Flowers 1974–1976 Sir Brian Pippard 1976–1978 Basil J Mason 1978–1980 Rendel S Pease 1980–1982 Sir Denys Wilkinson 1982–1984 Sir Robert Clayton 1984–1986 Sir Alec Merrison 1986–1988 Godfrey H Stafford 1988–1990 Cyril Hilsum 1990–1992 Roger Blin-Stoyle 1992–1994 Clive A. P. Foxell 1994–1996 Sir Arnold Wolfendale 1996–1998 Brian Manley 1998–2000 Sir Gareth Roberts 2000–2002 Sir Peter Williams 2002–2004 Sir David Wallace 2004–2006 Sir John Enderby 2006–2008 Peter Saraga 2008–2010 Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell 2010–2011 Marshall Stoneham 2011–2011 Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell (Interim) 2011–2013 Sir Peter Knight 2013–2015 Frances Saunders 2015–2017 Roy Sambles 2017–2019 Dame Julia Higgins 2019–2021 Jonathan Flint 2021–2023 Sheila Rowan 2023–2025 Keith Burnett 2025-present Michele Dougherty

References