List of University of Oxford people

This page serves as a central navigational point for lists of more than 2,350 members of the University of Oxford, divided into relevant groupings for ease of use. The vast majority were students at the university, although they did not necessarily take a degree; others have held fellowships at one of the university's colleges; many fall into both categories. This page does not include people whose only connection with the university consists in the award of an honorary degree or an honorary fellowship.

The list has been divided into categories indicating the field of activity in which people have become well known. Many of the university's alumni/ae, or old members, as they are more traditionally known, have attained a level of distinction in more than one field. These appear only in the category with which it is felt they are most often associated, or in which they have been more recently involved. Hence Jeffrey Archer (Brasenose), a novelist, is listed as a life peer; Imran Khan (Keble), a former captain of the Pakistani cricket team, is listed as a Pakistani politician. Some academic disciplines are more difficult to define than others. In particular, many theologians, lawyers, and sociologists work in areas that might be thought to be encompassed by philosophy.

Oxonians (a term for members, students or alumni of the university derived from its Latin name, Academia Oxoniensis) have included two British kings and at least fifteen monarchs of eleven other sovereign states (including five reigning monarchs), twenty-eight British prime ministers, and thirty-five presidents and prime ministers of nineteen other countries. As of July 2019 there are seven Oxonians in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom and two in the Shadow Cabinet. The university lays claim to thirteen saints, ten blesseds, an antipope, nineteen cardinals, and eighty-nine archbishops (including thirty-two of Canterbury and twenty-two of York). The university claims forty-seven Nobel Laureates and three Fields Medallists. The university's oldest student was Gertrud Seidmann, who was awarded a Certificate of Graduate Attainment aged 91.[1]

This list also includes twenty-five princes and princesses (among them the heirs apparent of Belgium and Brunei), thirty-four dukes, nineteen marquesses, eighty-two earls and countesses, forty-six viscounts and viscountesses, and 188 barons and baronesses; 246 bishops (Anglican and Catholic); 291 Members of Parliament (excluding MPs who were subsequently peers), eleven Members of the European Parliament (excluding MEPs also serving at Westminster), twelve Lord Chancellors, nine Lord Chief Justices and twenty-two law lords; ten US Senators, ten US Representatives (including a Speaker of the House), three state governors, and four associate justices of the US Supreme Court; as well as six puisne justices of the Supreme Court of Canada and a chief justice of the now defunct Federal Court of Canada.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Government

Monarchs

British

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

Foreign

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in public life overseas

Royalty

British

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

Foreign

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in public life overseas

Heads of state and heads of government

British Prime Ministers

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

Other countries

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in public life overseas

His Majesty's Government

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

Shadow Cabinet

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

House of Lords and House of Commons

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

Members of the European Parliament

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

British local politicians

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

British civil servants

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

British diplomats

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

Members of the British Royal Household

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

British military, security, and police personnel

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

Foreign politicians, civil servants, diplomats, and military personnel

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in public life overseas

Non-government people in British public life

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in British public life

Non-government people in public life overseas

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in public life overseas

Law

Lord Chancellors and Lord Chief Justices

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in the Law

Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (Law Lords)

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in the Law

Other judges and lawyers: United Kingdom

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in the Law

Judges and lawyers: other countries

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in the Law
Main article: List of University of Oxford people in academic disciplines

Religions

Christianity

Saints

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion § Saints

Blessed

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion § Blessed

Pope

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion § Pope

Cardinals

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion § Cardinals

Archbishops of Canterbury

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion § Archbishops of Canterbury

Archbishops of York

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion § Archbishops of York

Other Archbishops, Presiding Bishops, and Metropolitans

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion

Other Bishops

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion

Clergy and other ministers

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion

Theologians

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in academic disciplines

Islam

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion

Judaism

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion

Sikhism

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion

Bahá'í

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion

Buddhism

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in religion

Study of Religions

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in academic disciplines

Literature

Poets

Poets Laureate

Other Poets

Novelists and story writers

Dramatists

Children's writers

Scholars, critics, diarists, publishers, librarians

Travel and non-fiction writers

Media

Many journalists work in both print and broadcast media. The following are listed under the medium for which they are best known. Those who are known solely as sports commentators will be found at List of University of Oxford people in sport, exploration, and adventuring.

Print

Editors

Writers

Broadcast

Administration

The arts

Stage and television

Comedy

Film

Dance

Music

Composers

Conductors

Organists

Pianists

Singers

Musicologists

Administration

Didgeridoo

Jazz

Country

Folk

Rock and pop

  • Robert Anderson (St John's) Director British Museum 1992–2002
  • Thomas P. Campbell Director Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2009–
  • Kenneth Clark, Baron Clark of Saltwood (Trinity) Director National Gallery 1933–46, Surveyor King's Pictures 1934–44, Chairman Arts Council 1953–60
  • Henry Ellis (St John's) Principal Librarian British Museum 1827–56
  • T. D. Kendrick (Oriel) Director and Principal Librarian British Museum 1950–59
  • Frederic G. Kenyon (Magdalen) Director and Principal Librarian British Museum 1909–31
  • Michael Levey (Exeter) Director National Gallery 1973–86
  • Neil MacGregor (New College) Director National Gallery 1987–2002, Director British Museum 2002–, Chairman World Collections 2008–
  • Edward Maunde Thompson (University) Principal Librarian British Museum 1888–98, Director and Principal Librarian 1898–1909
  • Nicholas Penny (Balliol) Director National Gallery 2008–
  • John Pope-Hennessy (Balliol) Director Victoria and Albert Museum 1967–73, Director and Principal Librarian British Museum 1974–76, Director 1976–79
  • John Wolfenden, Baron Wolfenden (Magdalen) V-C Reading Univ 1950–63, Chmn Wolfenden Cttee 1954–57, Chmn Univ Grants Cttee 1963–68, Dir & Prin Lib Brit Mus 1969–74

Art and history of art

Architecture

Academic disciplines

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in academic disciplines
See also: List of University of Oxford alumni by academic discipline and List of University of Oxford academics by academic discipline

This includes:

  • Law
  • Theology and the Study of Religions
  • Historians
  • Classicists, Byzantinists, Archaeologists
  • Modern Languages
  • Philosophers
  • Economists
  • Geography
  • Anthropology and ethnography
  • Sociology
  • Politics, political philosophy, and international relations
  • Asian studies
  • Mathematicians and statisticians
  • Scientists
    • Naturalists, botanists, and zoologists
    • Medicine
    • Psychologists, psychiatrists, and physiologists of the brain
    • Chemists
    • Physicists and astronomers
      • Astronomers Royal
      • Other physicists and astronomers
    • Computers, electronics, and robotics
    • Engineering and agriculture
    • Geology
    • Meteorology

Educationalists

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in education

Sports people, explorers and adventurers

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in sport, exploration, and adventuring

Business people

Main article: List of University of Oxford people in business

Chefs and wine experts

Fictional Oxonians

Main article: List of fictional University of Oxford people

See also

References

  1. ^ "Gertrud Seidmann awarded a Certificate of Graduate Attainment". School of Archaeology. University of Oxford. 28 March 2011. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  2. ^ "St Catherine's, Oxford v Peterhouse, Cambridge". BBC Online. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  3. ^ Cooper-Beglin, Charlotte (6 January 2014). "Interview: Owen Jones". Cherwell. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  4. ^ Levens, R.G.C., ed. (1964). Merton College Register 1900-1964. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. p. 416.
  5. ^ "How Seumas Milne quietly became Labour's power player". The New European. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  6. ^ Purser, Philip (25 January 2006). "Michael Wharton". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  7. ^ Howard, Anthony (7 December 1989). "Murder in the Cathedral". London Review of Books. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Obituary: Frank Bough". BBC News. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Gyles Brandreth (New College, 1967)". alumni.ox.ac.uk. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Jo Coburn". BBC Online. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Michael Crick, BA". University of Manchester. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Chris Hollins". Talent4 Media. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Tributes to Magnus Magnusson, KBE, 1929-2007". BBC Online. 8 January 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  14. ^ Iqbal, Nosheen (19 March 2018). "Cathy Newman: 'The internet is being written by men with an agenda'". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  15. ^ "40 Years of Women: Katie Razzall". Pembroke College, Oxford. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  16. ^ Billen, Andrew. "Sophy Ridge, the woman changing on-screen politics". Royal Television Society. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  17. ^ Katbamna, Mira (17 August 2011). "My first year at university". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  18. ^ Morris, Sophie (22 October 2011). "Dan Snow: History boy". The Independent. London. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  19. ^ Dainty, Sophie (7 June 2023). "Hollyoaks star Niamh Blackshaw explains exit from Juliet role". Digital Spy. (Hearst Communications). Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Sophie Hunter Biography". Sophie Hunter Central.
  21. ^ Hayward, Anthony (7 October 2010). "Louis Marks obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  22. ^ "Ian Marter". Goodreads. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  23. ^ Durrant, Sabine (23 October 2011). "INTERVIEW / Plowman's half-hour: Jon Plowman is the straight man behind the funny women played by French and Saunders. Life's a gag, the TV producer tells Sabine Durrant". The Independent. London. Retrieved 3 May 2021.