Past elected presidents of the
Oxford Union are listed below, with their college and the year/term in which they served. ''Iterum'' indicates that a person was serving a second term as president (which is not possible under the current Union rules).
Key
Presidents of the United Debating Society
These are the Presidents as listed
Presidents of the Oxford Union Society
1826–1831
These are the presidents as listed
1831–1850
1850–1875
1875–1900
1900–1925
1925–1950
1950–1975
1975–2000
2000–present
Other notable officeholders
The 3rd Marquess of Salisbury was Union Secretary in Michaelmas 1848.
Harold Macmillan was Secretary of the Union in Hilary 1914, then Junior Treasurer (elected unopposed, which was then very unusual) in Trinity 1914; but for the war he would "almost certainly" have been President.
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike ( si, සොලොමන් වෙස්ට් රිජ්වේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක; ta, சாலமன் வெஸ்ட் ரிட்ஜ்வே டயஸ் ப� ...
was Treasurer in Trinity 1924.
Humayun Kabir
Humayun Kabir (1906-1969) was an Indian educationist and politician. He was also a poet, essayist and novelist in the Bengali-language. He was also a renowned political thinker. He was educated at Exeter College, Oxford and graduated in 1931. ...
was Librarian in 1931.
Ann Widdecombe
Ann Noreen Widdecombe (born 4 October 1947) is a British politician, author and television personality. She was Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone and The Weald, and the former Maidstone constituency, from 1987 to 2010 and Member of the E ...
was Treasurer in 1972, after having served as Secretary the previous year.
Jacob Rees-Mogg was Librarian in 1990, losing the election for the presidency to future Education Secretary
Damian Hinds
Damian Patrick George Hinds (born 27 November 1969) is a British politician serving as Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation since October 2022. He served as Secretary of State for Education from 2018 to 2019 and Minister of Stat ...
.
In fiction
*
Simon Kerslake
''First Among Equals'' is a 1984 novel by British author Jeffrey Archer, which follows the careers and personal lives of four fictional British politicians (Simon Kerslake, MP for Coventry Central and later Pucklebridge; Charles Seymour, MP for ...
(early 1950s), protagonist of the
Jeffrey Archer
Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist, life peer, convicted criminal, and former politician. Before becoming an author, Archer was a Member of Parliament (1969–1974), but did not ...
novel ''
First Among Equals'' invites sitting Prime Minister
Winston Churchill to propose the motion during
Eights Week that "This House Would Rather be a Commoner than a Lord". His future rival, The Hon. Charles Seymour listens from the floor and resolves to enter politics also. Archer himself was elected to Standing Committee for one term in 1965.
Notes
References
;Bibliography
*
*Hollis, Christopher. The Oxford Union. London: Evans, 1965.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Presidents of the Oxford Union
Presidents
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