The vice-chancellor and warden is the

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

. The vice-chancellor also holds the position of "Warden of the Durham Colleges" and is appointed by Council. Reporting to the vice-chancellor and warden (and also members of the university executive committee) are the deputy vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellors for research, education and each of the faculties (Arts and Humanities, Science, and Social Science and Health), the pro-vice-chancellor and deputy warden of the colleges, the registrar (

chief operating officer A chief operating officer or chief operations officer, also called a COO, is one of the highest-ranking executive positions in an organization, composing part of the "C-suite". The COO is usually the second-in-command at the firm, especially if t ...

) and the treasurer (

chief financial officer The chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization that is assigned the primary responsibility for managing the company's finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financ ...

). Under the original constitution of the university, the post of Warden combined the roles of chief executive and formal head of the university.

Charles Thorp Charles Thorp, (13 October 1783 – 10 October 1862) was an English churchman, rector of the parish of Ryton and, later, Archdeacon of Durham and the first warden of the University of Durham. Life He was born in Gateshead, County Durham, t ...

was appointed acting warden in December 1831 by Bishop William van Mildert, and in 1834 he was appointed to the position on a permanent basis by the dean and chapter of

Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...

(who were then the governors of the university). After Thorp's death in 1862, the post of Warden was held ''ex officio'' by the Dean of Durham, with Sub-Warden (which had previously been rotated between the professors of the university) becoming a permanent post, presaging the vice-chancellorship. From 1909, with the creation of the federal university, and the handing over of the dean and chapter's responsibilities to the newly formed council, the executive and formal roles were officially separated into the vice-chancellor (executive head) and the chancellor (formal head), with the warden becoming the chancellor and the sub-warden becoming the vice-chancellor. The vice-chancellor was elected by the council to serve a two-year term. In 1937 the permanent posts of Warden of the Durham Colleges and Rector of King's College were created, with the vice-chancellorship being held by each for two years at a time. With King's College becoming

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...

in 1963, the wardenship of the Durham Colleges was permanently united with the vice-chancellorship as the vice-chancellor and warden. The university numbered Chris Higgins as its 23rd vice-chancellor and warden, implying a count starting with the university's reconstitution in 1909 and continuing through the further reconstitutions in 1937 and 1963 despite the changes of title over this period. Hollingside House - geograph

The official residence of the vice-chancellor and warden is Hollingside House, formerly home to

John Bacchus Dykes John Bacchus Dykes (10 March 1823 – 22 January 1876) was an English clergyman and hymnwriter. Biography John Bacchus Dykes was born in Hull, England, the fifth child and third son of William Hey Dykes, a ship builder, later banker, an ...

. In May 2021, the University Council announced that Professor Karen O’Brien would become the university's first female vice-chancellor and warden, taking her post in January 2022. Antony Long, the deputy vice-chancellor and provost, served as interim vice-chancellor from August 2021 until January 2022.

Wardens of Durham University

Source: Durham University records. * 1831 – 1834

(acting) * 1834 – 1862 Charles Thorp * 1862 – 1869

George Waddington George Waddington (; 7 September 1793 – 20 July 1869) was an English priest, traveller and church historian. Life He was the son of George Waddington (1754?-1824), vicar of Tuxford and Anne Dollond, youngest daughter of the optician Peter Do ...

* 1869 – 1894 William Lake * 1894 – 1909

George William Kitchin George William Kitchin (7 December 1827 – 13 October 1912) was the first Chancellor of the University of Durham, from the institution of the role in 1908 until his death in 1912. He was also the last Dean of Durham to govern the university. ...

Sub-wardens

Source: Fowler (1904) and Durham University records. * 1839 – 1840 Henry Jenkyns ( Professor of Divinity) * 1840 – 1841

Temple Chevallier Temple Chevallier FRAS (19 October 1794 in Badingham, Suffolk – 4 November 1873 in Harrow Weald) was a British clergyman, astronomer, and mathematician. Between 1847 and 1849, he made important observations regarding sunspots. Chevall ...

(Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy) * 1841 – 1842 Henry Jenkyns * 1842 – 1843 John Edwards (Professor of Greek and Classical Literature) * 1843 – 1844 Temple Chevallier * 1844 – 1845 Henry Jenkyns * 1845 – 1846 John Edwards * 1846 – 1847 Temple Chevallier * 1847 – 1848 Henry Jenkyns * 1848 – 1849 John Edwards * 1849 – 1850 Temple Chevallier * 1850 – 1851 Henry Jenkyns * 1851 – 1852 John Edwards * 1852 – 1853 Temple Chevallier * 1853 – 1854 Henry Jenkyns * 1854 – 1855 John Edwards * 1855 – 1856 Temple Chevallier * 1856 – 1857 Henry Jenkyns * 1857 – 1858 John Edwards * 1858 – 1859 Temple Chevallier * 1859 – 1860 Henry Jenkyns * 1860 – 1861 John Edwards * 1861 – 1871 Temple Chevallier * 1872 Thomas Saunders Evans * 1872 – 1880 Adam S. Farrar * 1880 – 1895 Robert J. Pearce * 1895 – 1902 Alfred Plummer * 1902 – 1909 Frank Byron Jevons

Vice-chancellors

Source: Durham University records. * 1910 – 1912 Frank Byron Jevons (Master of Hatfield Hall) * 1912 – 1914

George Hare Philipson Sir George Hare Philipson, M.D., F.R.C.P. (18 May 1836 – 24 January 1918) was an English physician knighted in 1900. He was educated at University College, London and Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College, often referred to ...

(President of the College of Medicine) * 1914 – 1916 Henry Gee (Master of University College) * 1916 – 1918

William Henry Hadow Sir William Henry Hadow (27 December 1859 – 8 April 1937) was a leading educational reformer in Great Britain, a musicologist and a composer. Life Born at Ebrington in Gloucestershire and baptised there on 29 January 1860 by his father, ...

(Principal of Armstrong College) * 1918 – 1920

John Stapylton Grey Pemberton John Stapylton Grey Pemberton was Member of Parliament for Sunderland 1900–1906 and Vice-Chancellor of Durham University 1918–1919. He was also President of the Council of Durham Colleges 1911–1937, Recorder for Durham and chair of the ...

(President of the Council of Durham Colleges) * 1920 – 1922 David Drummond (President of the College of Medicine) * 1922 – 1924 Arthur Robinson (Master of Hatfield College) * 1924 – 1926

Theodore Morison Sir Theodore Morison (9 May 1863 – 14 February 1936) was a British educationalist who served as a Member of the Council of India and Director of the University of London Institute in Paris. He is best known as an interpreter of Muslim life ...

(Principal of Armstrong College) * 1926 – 1928

Percy John Heawood Percy John Heawood (8 September 1861 – 24 January 1955) was a British mathematician, who concentrated on graph colouring. Life He was the son of the Rev. John Richard Heawood of Newport, Shropshire, and his wife Emily Heath, daughter of the ...

(Professor of Mathematics) * 1928 – 1930 Thomas Oliver (President of the College of Medicine) * 1930 – 1932 Henry Ellershaw (Master of University College) * 1932 – 1934

William Sinclair Marris Sir William Sinclair Marris (9 October 1873 – 12 December 1945) was a British civil servant, colonial administrator, and classical scholar. He was a member of the Indian Civil Service during the British Raj, and later became Vice-Chancellor o ...

(Principal of Armstrong College) * 1934 – 1936

Stephen Moulsdale Stephen Richard Platt Moulsdale (18 August 1872, County Sligo – 25 October 1944, Hintlesham) was an Irish Anglican priest and academic administrator. Life and career The eldest son of the Revd T. H. P. Moulsdale, an Anglo-Irish cleric who was ...

(Principal of St Chad's College) * 1936 – 1937 Robert Bolam (President of the College of Medicine) * 1937 – 1938 James Duff (Warden of the Durham Colleges 1937 – 1960) * 1939 – 1940 Eustace Percy (Rector of King's College 1937 – 1951) * 1941 – 1942 James Duff * 1943 – 1944 Eustace Percy * 1945 – 1946 James Duff * 1947 – 1948 Eustace Percy * 1949 – 1950 James Duff * 1951 Eustace Percy * 1952

Charles Bosanquet Charles Bosanquet (23 July 1769 – 20 June 1850) was an English colonial official and writer. Life He was born at Forest House, Essex, the second son of Samuel Bosanquet and Eleanor Hunter. He was educated at Newcome's School and then in Swit ...

(Rector of King's College 1951 – 1963) * 1953 – 1954 James Duff * 1955 – 1956 Charles Bosanquet * 1957 – 1958 James Duff * 1959 – 1960 Charles Bosanquet * 1961 – 1963 Sir

Derman Christopherson Sir Derman Guy Christopherson (6 September 1915 – 7 November 2000) was a British engineering science academic. Early life and education Christopherson was born the son of a clergyman, Derman Christopherson (the vicar of Plumstead in southeast ...

(Warden of the Durham Colleges from 1960)

Vice-chancellors and wardens

Source: Durham University records except where otherwise noted. * 1963 – 1978: Sir Derman Christopherson * 1979: William K. R. Musgrave (acting) * 1980 – 1990: Frederick Holliday * 1990 – 1998:

Evelyn Ebsworth Evelyn may refer to: Places * Evelyn, London *Evelyn Gardens, a garden square in London * Evelyn, Ontario, Canada * Evelyn, Michigan, United States * Evelyn, Texas, United States * Evelyn, Wirt County, West Virginia, United States * Evel ...

* 1998 – 2007:

Kenneth Calman Sir Kenneth Charles Calman, HonFAcadMEd (born 25 December 1941) is a doctor and academic who formerly worked as a surgeon, oncologist and cancer researcher and held the position of Chief Medical Officer of Scotland, and then England. He was Wa ...

* 2007 – 2014: Christopher Higgins * 2014 – 2015:

Ray Hudson Raymond Wilfred Hudson (born 24 March 1955) is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a radio host for SiriusXM FC 157. He started playing professionally at 17, in 1973, with Newcastle United. Fans nic ...

(acting) * September 2015 – 2021:

Stuart Corbridge Stuart Edward Corbridge, FRGS (born 1957) is a British geographer and academic specialising in geopolitics, development studies, and India. From September 2015 to July 2021, he was Vice-Chancellor and Warden of Durham University. From 2013 to 201 ...

* 2022 – present: Karen O'Brien

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Vice-Chancellor and Wardens of Durham University Durham University * Vice-Chancellors and Wardens