This is a list of people associated with Durham University, divided for user convenience into multiple subcategories. This includes alumni, those who have taught there, conducted research there or played a part in its founding.
Durham University is a collegiate university, so where known and if applicable, they are shown alongside their associated college. Note that college membership was not always compulsory. [a] Staff candidates who have read for higher degrees, like the geologist Gillian Foulger or the historian Jeremy Black, did not join a college either. Alumni who did not take up membership of a college or society are therefore listed as Unattached.
This list is divided into categories indicating the field of activity in which people have become well known. Alumni who have achieved distinction in more than one field are listed in the field in which it is felt they are most associated, or have been involved in more recently.
Durham alumni are active through organizations and events such as the annual reunions, dinners and balls. By 2009, the university claimed 67 Durham associations, ranging from international to college and sports affiliated groups, catered for the more than 109,000 living alumni. [3]
Scientific entries who were, or are, Fellows of the Royal Society, have the Post-nominal letters FRS listed after their name
Entries defined as having backgrounds in Biology and its various sub-disciplines e.g. Botany, Ecology, Neuroscience, Pathology etc.
(See § Religion for theologians better known for their ordained ministry)
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Anthony Hughes, Lord Hughes of Ombersley | Van Mildert | Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2013-2018); Vice President of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal (2009-2013); Lord Justice of Appeal (2006–2013) | [119] |
Jill Black, Lady Black of Derwent | Trevelyan | Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2017-); Lady Justice of Appeal (2010-2017) | [120] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
James Goss | University | Justice of the High Court (Queen's Bench) (2014–) | [121] |
David Maddison | Grey | Justice of the High Court (Queen's Bench) (2008–2013) | [122] |
Andrew McFarlane | Collingwood | Justice of the High Court (2006–2011); Lord Justice of Appeal (2011–2018); President of the Family Division (2018–) | [123] |
Finola O'Farrell | Trevelyan | Justice of the High Court (Queen's Bench) (2016–) | [124] |
Caroline Swift | St Aidan's | Justice of the High Court (Queen's Bench) (2005–2015) | [125] |
Mark Waller | King's | Justice of the High Court (1989–1996); Lord Justice of Appeal (1996–2010); Intelligence Services Commissioner (2011–2016) | [126] |
Sonia Harris | University | Justice of the High Court (Family Division) (2024-) | [127] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
St John Branch | Codrington | Chief Justice of Jamaica (1923–1925); Chief Justice of Sri Lanka (1925–1926) | [128] |
Henry Joko-Smart | Fourah Bay | Justice of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone (1998–2005) | [129] |
Kobina Arku Korsah | Fourah Bay | Chief Justice of the Gold Coast (1956–1957); Chief Justice of Ghana (1957–1963) | [130] |
George Lamptey | King's | Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana (2000–2002) | [131] |
Koi Larbi | Fourah Bay | Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana (1970–1972) | [132] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
George Gretton | Hatfield | Commissioner of the Scottish Law Commission (2006–2011) | [133] |
Jolyon Maugham QC | Hatfield | Barrister at Devereux Chambers; Founder of Good Law Project | [134] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith | Hatfield | Previously Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) (2016–2018); Director Special Forces (2012–2015) | [140] |
General Sir Richard Dannatt | Hatfield | Also Constable of the Tower (2009–2016) | [141] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Captain Hugh Clark | King's | Won Military Cross for actions during Operation Varsity | [152] |
Captain Nigel Morgan | Hatfield | Irish Guards officer; known for helping to expose the 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt | [153] |
Lieutenant-Colonel John Vane, 11th Baron Barnard | ? | Commanded Northumberland Hussars (1964–1966) | [154] |
Lieutenant Michael Osborne Waddell | King's | Won Military Cross for actions during Invasion of Sicily | [155] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Air Vice Marshall Jonathan Chaffey | St Chad's/St John's | Archdeacon for the Royal Air Force (2014–2018) | [156] |
Group Captain Campbell Hoy | Armstrong | Flying ace (11 victories) | [157] |
Air Commodore Nigel Phillips | ? | Governor of the Falkland Islands and Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2017–) | [158] |
Air Chief Marshal Sir James Robb | Armstrong | Inspector-General of the RAF (1951); Vice Chief of the Air Staff (1947–1948) | [159] |
Air Vice Marshal Adam Henry Robson | Armstrong | Director, RAF Educational Service (1944–1952) | [160] |
Air Commodore Joy Tamblin | ? | Director, Women's Royal Air Force (1976–1980) | [161] |
Air Vice Marshal Garry Tunnicliffe | University | Defence Services Secretary (2016–2019) | [162] |
Air Marshal Peter Walker | Hatfield | Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey (2011–2015); Commander, Joint Warfare Centre (2005–2007) | [163] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Flight Lieutenant Thomas Kerr | University | Pilot during Second World War; later President of the Royal Aeronautical Society (1985–1986) | [164] |
Excluding current members of the Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet, who are listed above (if any), and former MPs who went on to be members of the House of Lords, who are listed below
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Nick Ramsay | St John's | Conservative Member of the Welsh Assembly for Monmouth (2007–2021) | [252] |
Patrick Roche | Graduate Society | Northern Ireland Unionist Party Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley (1998–2003) | [253] |
Mike Tuffrey | University | Liberal Democrat Member of the London Assembly as the 5th Additional Member (2002–2012) | [254] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Paul Brannen | ? | Labour Party MEP for North East England (2014–2019) | [255] |
Alexandra Phillips | St Mary's | Brexit Party MEP for South East England (2019–2020) | [256] |
Jake Pugh | Hatfield | Brexit Party MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber (2019–2020) | [257] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
K. B. Asante | University | Ghanaian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Economic Community (1976–1978) Ghanaian Ambassador to Switzerland and Australia (1967–1972) | [279] |
Phyllis Kandie | ? | Kenyan Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union (2018–) | [280] |
Desra Percaya | Graduate Society | Ambassador of Indonesia to the United Kingdom (2020–) Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations (2012–2015) | [281] |
Samir Sumaidaie | King's | Iraqi Ambassador to the United States (2006–2011) Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations (2004–2006) | [282] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Adrian Brown | ? | Director of Parliamentary Archives (2014–) | [283] |
Clare Cameron | University | Director, Defence Innovation, Ministry of Defence (2019–) | [284] |
Ian Chapman | Hild Bede | Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority | [285] |
Shona Dunn | ? | Second Permanent Secretary, Home Office (2018–2021) | [286] |
Kumar Iyer | University | Chief Economist, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2019–) | [287] |
Jonathan Jones | St Chad's | Permanent Secretary, Government Legal Department (2014–2020) | [288] |
Richard Paniguian | Hatfield | Head of Defence & Security Organisation (2008–2015) | [289] |
Graham Savage | ― | Education Officer, London County Council (1940–1951) | |
Nicola Spence | St Aidan's | Chief Plant Health Officer, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2014–) | [290] |
Mike Tomlinson | ? | Chief Inspector at Ofsted (2000–2002) | [291] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
John Rawling Todd | Hatfield | Secretary for Housing, British Hong Kong (1986–1988) | [292] |
John Francis Yaxley | Hatfield | Hong Kong Commissioner in London (1989–1993) | [293] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Rodney Atkinson | Collingwood | Eurosceptic campaigner; 1997 general election Referendum Party candidate for North West Durham, 1999 European Elections UK Independence Party (UKIP) candidate for the North East Region | [309] |
Tracy Philipps | Hatfield | Secretary-General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (1955–1958) | [310] |
Francis Ambrose Ridley | Non-Collegiate | President of the National Secular Society (1951–1963) | [311] |
Charles Andrew Smith | Armstrong | Chairman of the Independent Labour Party (1939–1941); Chairman of the Common Wealth Party (1945–1947) | [312] |
Kevin Watkins | University | Chief Executive of Save the Children (2016–) | [313] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Walter Robert Adams | University | Archbishop of Yukon (1947–1952) | [314] |
Drexel Gomez | St Chad's | Archbishop of the West Indies (1998–2009) | [315] |
Alastair Haggart | Hatfield | Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church (1977–1985) | [316] |
Josiah Idowu-Fearon | St John's | Archbishop of Kaduna (2002–2008) | [317] |
James Horstead | University | Archbishop of West Africa (1955–1961) | [318] |
Edward Hutson | Codrington | Archbishop of the West Indies (1922–1936) | [319] |
Henry Ndukuba | St John's | Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria (2020–) | [320] |
Michael Ramsey | — | Van Mildert Professor of Divinity (1940–1950); Archbishop of Canterbury (1961–1974) | [321] |
Theophilos III | University | Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem (2005–) | [322] |
Justin Welby | St John's | Archbishop of Canterbury (2013–) | [323] |
John Wilson | Ushaw | Archbishop of Southwark (2019–) | [324] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Bill Baddeley | St Chad's | Dean of Brisbane (1958–1967) | [415] |
John Barker | ? | Dean of Cloyne (1973–1984) | [416] |
Dominic Barrington | Hatfield | Dean of York (2022–) | [417] |
Adrian Dorber | St John's | Dean of Lichfield (2005–2023) | [418] |
Jonathan Draper | St John's | Dean of Exeter (2012–2017) | [419] |
Edward Frossard | University | Dean of Guernsey (1947–1967) | [420] |
John Robert Hall | St Chad's | Dean of Westminster (2006–2019) | [421] |
Jane Hedges | St John's | Dean of Norwich (2014–) | [422] |
Roderick Mackay | Hatfield | Dean of Edinburgh (1939-1954) | [423] |
Geoff Miller | ? | Dean of Newcastle (2018–) | [424] |
John Seaford | St Chad's | Dean of Jersey (1993–2005) | [425] |
Edward Shotter | ? | Dean of Rochester (1989–2003) | [426] |
Michael Tavinor | University | Dean of Hereford (2002–2021) | [427] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Guillaume of Luxembourg | University | Heir apparent of the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg (2000–) | [446] |
Emmanuel de Merode | ? | Prince of the House of Merode; Director of Virunga National Park (2008–) | [447] |
Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi | ? | Emir of Sharjah (1972–) | [448] |
Faisal bin Mishaal Al Saud | ? | Prince of the House of Saud; Governor of Al-Qassim Province (2015–) | [449] |
Name | College | Course | Medal | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fiona Crackles | Collingwood | Bsc Sport and Exercise Science | Bronze medal (field hockey) at 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021) in Tokyo | [450] |
Jonathan Edwards | Van Mildert | BSc Physics | Gold medal (triple jump) at 2000 Olympics in Sydney; Silver medal in triple jump at 1996 Olympics in Atlanta | [451] |
Angus Groom | Hatfield | BSc Natural Sciences | Silver medal (Quad sculls) at 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021) in Tokyo | [452] |
Sophie Hosking | Trevs | BSc Chemistry and Physics | Gold medal (lightweight double sculls) at 2012 Olympics in London | [453] |
Stephen Rowbotham | Collingwood | BA Business Economics | Bronze medal (double sculls) at 2008 Olympics in Beijing | [454] |
Lily van den Broecke | Castle | BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics | Gold medal (mixed coxed four) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics | [455] |
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Roy Martin Haines, initially a graduate of Durham University (St. Chad's College), was subsequently awarded doctorates at Oxford where he became a postgraduate student of Worcester College. He was a Visiting Fellow, subsequently Life Member, of Clare Hall, Cambridge, and is a Fellow of The Society of Antiquaries of London and of the Royal Historical Society
Tim Blackman What was your first degree and where did you study? BA geography, Durham University
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