The Chancellor is the titular head of the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
and President of the
General Council, by whom they are elected. The office is intended to be held for life. Their principal duty is to confer
degrees upon those presented to them by the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
, although this role is usually carried out by the
Vice-Chancellor
A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system.
In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...
, the appointment of whom is the Chancellor's second-most important duty.
The current Chancellor is
Dame Katherine Grainger, the first woman to hold the office.
History
From the University's establishment in 1451, the office was held by the
Archbishop of Glasgow
The Archbishop of Glasgow is an archiepiscopal title that takes its name after the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The position and title were abolished by the Church of Scotland in 1689; and, in the Scottish Episcopal Church, it is now part of th ...
, except in the case of Lord Blantyre, who held all the powers of the Archbishop as 'Lord of Glasgow'. This trend ceased with the appointment of the Duke of Hamilton as Chancellor in 1642, although resumed from 1661 to 1692 for a subsequent run of seven archbishops, from Andrew Fairfoul to John Paterson.
Five of the eight Chancellors in the past hundred years have been alumni of the University. The Earl of Roseberry, a former
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
, was educated at Oxford; Sir Daniel Macauley Stevenson did not attend university but was a generous benefactor of the University; and Sir Donald MacAlister, who studied at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
served as Principal between 1909 and 1929. Sir William Kerr Fraser had also been Principal prior to his appointment and, other than the most recent two chancellors, is the only holder in the past hundred years not to have died in office.
List of chancellors
*
William Turnbull (1451)
*
Andrew de Durisdere (1456)
*
John Laing (1474)
*
Robert Blackadder (1483)
*
James Beaton
James Beaton (or Bethune) (1473–1539) was a Roman Catholic Scottish church leader, the uncle of David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland.
Life
James Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of John Beaton of Balfour ...
(1508)
*
Gavin Dunbar (1524)
*
James Beaton II (1551–1560)
*
John Porterfield (1571)
*
James Boyd (1572)
*
Robert Montgomery (1581)
*
William Erskine (1585)
*
Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Blantyre
Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Blantyre (died 8 March 1617) was a Scottish politician, administrator, and judge.
Life
He was the son of Sir John Stewart of Minto and Margaret Stewart sister of James Stewart of Cardonald
Educated with James VI under ...
(1587)
*
John Spottiswoode (1603)
*
James Law (1615)
*
Patrick Lindsay (1633)
*
James Hamilton, 3rd Marquess of Hamilton (1642)
*
John Thurloe
John Thurloe (June 1616 – 21 February 1668) was an English politician who served as secretary to the council of state in Protectorate England and spymaster for Oliver Cromwell and held the position of Postmaster General between 1655 and 1660. ...
(1658)
*
William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn
William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn ( gd, Uilleam Coineagan) (1610–1664), was a Scottish nobleman, Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and a cavalier. He was also the chief of Clan Cunningham.
The eldest son of William Cunningham, 8th Earl ...
(1660)
*
Andrew Fairfoul (1661)
*
Alexander Burnet (1664)
*
Robert Leighton
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, h ...
(1672)
*
Alexander Burnet (1674)
*
Arthur Ross (1679)
*
Alexander Cairncross (1684)
*
John Paterson (1687)
*
John Carmichael, 1st Earl of Hyndford (1692)
*
James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Duke and 4th Marquess of Montrose (April 16827 January 1742) was a Scottish aristocratic statesman in the early eighteenth century.
Life
He was the only son of James Graham, 3rd Marquess of Montrose and Lady Christian Lesli ...
(1714)
*
William Graham, 2nd Duke of Montrose (1743)
*
James Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose
James is a common English language surname and given name:
* James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambigua ...
(1781)
*
James Graham, 4th Duke of Montrose (1837)
*
Sir William Stirling-Maxwell of Pollock (1875)
*
Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch
Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry, (born Walter Francis Montagu-Scott; 25 November 1806 – 16 April 1884), styled Lord Eskdail between 1808 and 1812 and Earl of Dalkeith between 1812 and 18 ...
(1878)
*
John Hamilton Dalrymple, 10th Earl of Stair (1884)
*
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, (26 June 182417 December 1907) was a British mathematician, mathematical physicist and engineer born in Belfast. Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow for 53 years, he did importan ...
(1904) *
*
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian, (7 May 1847 – 21 May 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 1894 to June 1895. Between the death o ...
(1908)
*
Sir Donald MacAlister, 1st Baronet (1929)
*
Sir Daniel Macaulay Stevenson (1934–1944)
*
John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr (1946) *
*
Sir Alexander Kirkland Cairncross (1972) *
*
Sir William Kerr Fraser (1996) *
*
Professor Sir Kenneth Calman (2006) *
*
Dame Katherine Grainger (2020) *
:
* denotes alumni
See also
*
Ancient university governance in Scotland
*
Principal of the University of Glasgow
The Principal of the University of Glasgow is the working head of the University, acting as its chief executive. He is responsible for the day-to-day management of the University as well as its strategic planning and administration. The Principa ...
*
Rector of the University of Glasgow
The (Lord) Rector of the University of Glasgow is one of the most senior posts within the institution, elected every three years by students. The theoretical role of the rector is to represent students to the senior management of the university ...
References
External links
University of Glasgow :: Facts and Figures :: ChancellorUniversity of Glasgow :: Story :: The Chancellor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chancellor Of The University Of Glasgow
*