The Rector

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The University of Glasgow is one of five Scottish universities which elects a Rector. Since the Universities (Scotland) Act of 1858, the Rector has been elected by the matriculated students of the University and not only represents them but is also, ex-officio, the Chairman of the University Court, the body which administers the resources of the University.

The Rector has a number of key duties representing students. They are expected to attend meetings of Court, to work closely with the Students' Representative Council (SRC), and to bring student concerns to the attention of the University's managers. However, participation in events is entirely voluntary and depends on the Rector's own availability and choice.

Today, the Rector is elected for a period of three years. The election is held on any day in the Candlemas Term fixed by the University Court after consultation with Senate. The Rector is formally installed in a ceremony and gives a speech known as a rectorial address, and classes are suspended for the installation ceremony to permit students to attend. The University's Bute Hall has been the setting for most installations since 1959.

History

Read about the history of this position.

Jump to a Century: 2000 | 1900 | 1800 | 1700 | 1600 | 1500

2021 - The Hon Lady Rita Rae, QC
2017 - Aamer Anwar
2014 - Edward Snowden
2011 - Charles Kennedy
2008 - Charles Kennedy
2004 - Mordechai Vanunu
2001 - Greg Hemphill

2000

1999 - Ross Kemp
1996 - Richard Wilson
1993 - Johnny Ball
1990 - Pat Kane
1987 - Winnie Mandela
1984 - Michael Kelly
1980 - Reginald Bosanquet
1977 - John Bell
1974 - Arthur Montford
1971 - Jimmy Reid
1968 - Reverend George MacLeod, Lord MacLeod of Fuinary
1965 - John Reith, 1st Baron Reith
1962 - Albert Luthuli
1959 - Quintin Hogg, 2nd Viscount Hailsham and Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone
1956 - Richard Austen Butler
1953 - Tom Honeyman
1950 - John MacCormick
1947 - Walter Elliot
1945 - John Boyd Orr, Baron Boyd Orr of Brechin
1938 - Sir Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
1937 - Reverend Dick Sheppard
1934 - Sir Iain Colquhoun, 7th Baronet
1931 - Compton MacKenzie
1928 - Stanley Baldwin
1925 - Sir Austen Chamberlain
1922 - Sir Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead
1919 - Andrew Bonar Law
1914 - Raymond Poincaré
1911 - Augustine Birrell
1908 - George Nathaniel Curzon, Marquess Curzon of Kedleston
1905 - Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith
1902 - George Wyndham

1900

1899 - Sir Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery and 1st Earl of Midlothian
1896 - Sir Joseph Chamberlain
1893 - Sir John Eldon Gorst
1890 - Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour
1887 - Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton
1884 - Edmund Law Lushington
1883 - Henry Fawcett
1880 - John Bright
1877 - William Ewart Gladstone
1874 - Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield
1871 - Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield
1868 - Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby
1865 - John Inglis, Lord Glencorse
1862 - Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
1859 - James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine
1856 - Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton
1854 - George Douglas Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll
1852 - Archibald William Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton and 1st Earl of Wintoun
1850 - Archibald Alison, 1st Baronet
1848 - Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron Macaulay
1847 - William Mure, of Caldwell
1846 - Sir John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
1844 - Andrew Rutherfurd, Lord Rutherfurd
1842 - Fox Maule, Earl of Dalhousie
1840 - John Campbell, 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane
1838 - Sir James Graham, 2nd Baronet
1836 - Sir Robert Peel
1834 - Edward George Geoffrey Smith Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
1831 - Henry Cockburn, Lord Cockburn
1829 - Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne
1826 - Thomas Campbell
1824 - Lord Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
1822 - Sir James Mackintosh, of Kyllachy
1820 - Francis Jeffrey
1819 - Kirkman Finlay, of Castle Toward
1817 - George Boyle, 4th Earl of Glasgow
1815 - David Boyle, Lord Shewalton
1813 - Thomas Graham, Baron Lynedoch
1811 - Archibald Hamilton, Lord Hamilton
1809 - Archibald Campbell, of Blythswood
1807 - Archibald Colquhoun, of Killermont and Garscadden
1805 - Henry Glassford, of Dougalston
1803 - Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston
1801 - William Craig

1800

1799 - Sir Ilay Campbell, 1st Baronet
1797 - George Oswald, of Scotstoun and Auchencruive
1795 - William McDowell, of Garthland and Castle Semple
1793 - William Mure, of Caldwell
1791 - Thomas Kennedy, of Dunure
1789 - Walter Campbell, of Shawfield
1787 - Adam Smith
1785 - Robert Graham
1783 - Edmund Burke
1781 - Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
1779 - James Maitland, 7th Earl of Lauderdale
1777 - Andrew Stewart, of Castlemilk and Torrance
1775 - James William Montgomery, 1st Baronet
1773 - Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9th Baron Cathcart
1772 - Lord Frederick Campbell
1770 - Robert Ord
1768 - Sir Adam Ferguson, of Kilkerran
1767 - Dunbar Douglas, 4th Earl of Selkirk
1764 - William Mure, of Caldwell
1763 - Sir Thomas Miller, 1st Baronet
1761 - James Hay, 15 Earl of Errol
1759 - James Milliken, of Milliken
1757 - Patrick Boyle, Lord Shewalton
1755 - John Boyle, 3rd Earl of Glasgow
1753 - William Mure, of Caldwell
1750 - Sir John Maxwell, of Pollok
1748 - George Bogle, of Daldowie
1746 - Sir John Maxwell, of Pollok
1743 - George Bogle, of Daldowie
1742 - John Orr, of Barrowfield
1740 - John Graham, of Dougalston
1738 - George Bogle, of Daldowie
1733 - Colin Campbell, of Blythswood
1731 - John Orr, of Barrowfield
1729 - Francis Dunlop
1726 - George Ross, 13th Lord Ross
1725 - Sir Hugh Montgomery, of Hartfield
1723 - James Hamilton, of Aikenhead
1720 - Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston
1718 - Mungo Graham, of Gorthlie

1700

1691 - Sir John Maxwell, of Nether Pollok
1690 - David Boyle, 1st Earl of Glasgow
1686 - Archibald Inglis
1682 - Robert Douglas
1682 - Richard Waddell
1678 - William Fleming
1677 - Matthew Brisbane
1672 - William Fleming
1670 - William Fleming
1666 - James Ramsay
1663 - ? Cunningham
1660 - Ralph Rodger
1654 - Sir George Maxwell
1650 - George Lockhart
1646 - James Roberton
1645 - Zachary Boyd
1643 - Archibald Fleming
1640 - John Hay
1638 - Robert Wilkie
1637 - John Boyle
1636 - John Maxwell
1635 - John Bell
1634 - Zachary Boyd
1632 - Robert Wilkie
1631 - John Bell
1630 - John Boyle
1629 - Robert Wilkie
1627 - John Bell
1618 - Robert Scot
1615 - William Hay
1614 - John Bell
1613 - John Hay
1612 - John Bell
1603 - John Hay
1602 - John Bell
1601 - Andrew Boyd
1600 - John Hay

1600

1596 - David Wemyss
1595 - John Hay
1594 - David Wemyss
1586 - Archibald Crawfurd
1569 - Andrew Hay
1559 - John Colquhoun
1558 - James Balfour
1555 - Archibald Beaton
1553 - John Colquhoun
1552 - John Steinston
1546 - Walter Beaton
1542 - John Ballantine
1533 - James Houston
1528 - Adam Colquhoun
1527 - Thomas Campbell
1526 - John Reid
1525 - Walter Kennedy
1521 - James Stewart
1519 - Robert Maxwell
1517 - Adam Colquhoun
1516 - Patrick Graham
1513 - Patrick Graham
1512 - James Stewart
1509 - George Montgomery
1505 - Patrick Elphinstone
1501 - Alexander Inglis

1500

1499 - Thomas Muirhead
1498 - Patrick Elphinstone
1497 - John Goldsmith
1495 - George Montgomery
1494 - David Cunningham, Archdeacon of Argyle
1493 - Thomas Forsyth
1492 - Nicholas Ross
1491 - John Doby
1490 - John Goldsmith
1489 - David Cunningham, Archdeacon of Argyle
1488 - Thomas Muirhead
1486 - John Stewart
1485 - Patrick Elphinstone
1484 - Nicholas Ross
1483 - William Carmichael
1482 - John Brown
1481 - Patrick Leitch, Junior
1480 - Thomas Forsyth
1478 - William Carmichael
1476 - Thomas Montgomery
1475 - William Glendinning
1474 - William Elphinstone
1473 - William Semple
1471 - William Glendinning
1470 - Thomas Lauderdale
1469 - William Arthurlie
1468 - Duncan Bunch
1468 - Patrick Leitch, Junior
1458 - David Cadzow
1456 - William Herries
1453 - Thomas Cameron
1452 - David Cadzow