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. [lower-alpha 1] 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) | [114] |
Jill Black, Lady Black of Derwent | Trevelyan | Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2017-); Lady Justice of Appeal (2010-2017) | [115] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
James Goss | University | Justice of the High Court (Queen's Bench) (2014–) | [116] |
David Maddison | Grey | Justice of the High Court (Queen's Bench) (2008–2013) | [117] |
Andrew McFarlane | Collingwood | Justice of the High Court (2006–2011); Lord Justice of Appeal (2011–2018); President of the Family Division (2018–) | [118] |
Finola O'Farrell | Trevelyan | Justice of the High Court (Queen's Bench) (2016–) | [119] |
Caroline Swift | St Aidan's | Justice of the High Court (Queen's Bench) (2005–2015) | [120] |
Mark Waller | King's | Justice of the High Court (1989–1996); Lord Justice of Appeal (1996–2010); Intelligence Services Commissioner (2011–2016) | [121] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
St John Branch | Codrington | Chief Justice of Jamaica (1923–1925); Chief Justice of Sri Lanka (1925–1926) | [122] |
Henry Joko-Smart | Fourah Bay | Justice of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone (1998–2005) | [123] |
Kobina Arku Korsah | Fourah Bay | Chief Justice of the Gold Coast (1956–1957); Chief Justice of Ghana (1957–1963) | [124] |
George Lamptey | King's | Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana (2000–2002) | [125] |
Koi Larbi | Fourah Bay | Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana (1970–1972) | [126] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
George Gretton | Hatfield | Commissioner of the Scottish Law Commission (2006–2011) | [127] |
Jolyon Maugham QC | Hatfield | Barrister at Devereux Chambers; Founder of Good Law Project | [128] |
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) | [136] |
General Sir Richard Dannatt | Hatfield | Also Constable of the Tower (2009–2016) | [137] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Captain Hugh Clark | King's | Won Military Cross for actions during Operation Varsity | [148] |
Captain Nigel Morgan | Hatfield | Irish Guards officer; known for helping to expose the 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt | [149] |
Lieutenant-Colonel John Vane, 11th Baron Barnard | ? | Commanded Northumberland Hussars (1964–1966) | [150] |
Lieutenant Michael Osborne Waddell | King's | Won Military Cross for actions during Invasion of Sicily | [151] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Air Vice Marshall Jonathan Chaffey | St Chad's/St John's | Archdeacon for the Royal Air Force (2014–2018) | [152] |
Group Captain Campbell Hoy | Armstrong | Flying ace (11 victories) | [153] |
Air Commodore Nigel Phillips | ? | Governor of the Falkland Islands and Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2017–) | [154] |
Air Chief Marshal Sir James Robb | Armstrong | Inspector-General of the RAF (1951); Vice Chief of the Air Staff (1947–1948) | [155] |
Air Vice Marshal Adam Henry Robson | Armstrong | Director, RAF Educational Service (1944–1952) | [156] |
Air Commodore Joy Tamblin | ? | Director, Women's Royal Air Force (1976–1980) | [157] |
Air Vice Marshal Garry Tunnicliffe | University | Defence Services Secretary (2016–2019) | [158] |
Air Marshal Peter Walker | Hatfield | Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey (2011–2015); Commander, Joint Warfare Centre (2005–2007) | [159] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Flight Lieutenant Thomas Kerr | University | Pilot during Second World War; later President of the Royal Aeronautical Society (1985–1986) | [160] |
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) | [246] |
Patrick Roche | Graduate Society | Northern Ireland Unionist Party Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley (1998–2003) | [247] |
Mike Tuffrey | University | Liberal Democrat Member of the London Assembly as the 5th Additional Member (2002–2012) | [248] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Paul Brannen | ? | Labour Party MEP for North East England (2014–2019) | [249] |
Alexandra Phillips | St Mary's | Brexit Party MEP for South East England (2019–2020) | [250] |
Jake Pugh | Hatfield | Brexit Party MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber (2019–2020) | [251] |
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) | [273] |
Phyllis Kandie | ? | Kenyan Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union (2018–) | [274] |
Desra Percaya | Graduate Society | Ambassador of Indonesia to the United Kingdom (2020–) Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations (2012–2015) | [275] |
Samir Sumaidaie | ? | Iraqi Ambassador to the United States (2006–2011) Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations (2004–2006) | [276] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Adrian Brown | ? | Director of Parliamentary Archives (2014–) | [277] |
Clare Cameron | University | Director, Defence Innovation, Ministry of Defence (2019–) | [278] |
Ian Chapman | Hild Bede | Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority | [279] |
Shona Dunn | ? | Second Permanent Secretary, Home Office (2018–2021) | [280] |
Kumar Iyer | University | Chief Economist, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2019–) | [281] |
Jonathan Jones | St Chad's | Permanent Secretary, Government Legal Department (2014–2020) | [282] |
Richard Paniguian | Hatfield | Head of Defence & Security Organisation (2008–2015) | [283] |
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–) | [284] |
Mike Tomlinson | ? | Chief Inspector at Ofsted (2000–2002) | [285] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
John Rawling Todd | Hatfield | Secretary for Housing, British Hong Kong (1986–1988) | [286] |
John Francis Yaxley | Hatfield | Hong Kong Commissioner in London (1989–1993) | [287] |
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 | [303] |
Tracy Philipps | Hatfield | Secretary-General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (1955–1958) | [304] |
Francis Ambrose Ridley | Non-Collegiate | President of the National Secular Society (1951–1963) | [305] |
Charles Andrew Smith | Armstrong | Chairman of the Independent Labour Party (1939–1941); Chairman of the Common Wealth Party (1945–1947) | [306] |
Kevin Watkins | University | Chief Executive of Save the Children (2016–) | [307] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Walter Robert Adams | University | Archbishop of Yukon (1947–1952) | [308] |
Drexel Gomez | St Chad's | Archbishop of the West Indies (1998–2009) | [309] |
Alastair Haggart | Hatfield | Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church (1977–1985) | [310] |
Josiah Idowu-Fearon | St John's | Archbishop of Kaduna (2002–2008) | [311] |
James Horstead | University | Archbishop of West Africa (1955–1961) | [312] |
Edward Hutson | Codrington | Archbishop of the West Indies (1922–1936) | [313] |
Henry Ndukuba | ? | Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria (2020–) | [314] |
Michael Ramsey | — | Van Mildert Professor of Divinity (1940–1950); Archbishop of Canterbury (1961–1974) | [315] |
Theophilos III | University | Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem (2005–) | [316] |
Justin Welby | St John's | Archbishop of Canterbury (2013–) | [317] |
John Wilson | ? | Archbishop of Southwark (2019–) | [318] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Bill Baddeley | St Chad's | Dean of Brisbane (1958–1967) | [409] |
John Barker | ? | Dean of Cloyne (1973–1984) | [410] |
Dominic Barrington | Hatfield | Dean of York (2022–) | [411] |
Adrian Dorber | St John's | Dean of Lichfield (2005–2023) | [412] |
Jonathan Draper | St John's | Dean of Exeter (2012–2017) | [413] |
Edward Frossard | University | Dean of Guernsey (1947–1967) | [414] |
John Robert Hall | St Chad's | Dean of Westminster (2006–2019) | [415] |
Jane Hedges | St John's | Dean of Norwich (2014–) | [416] |
Roderick Mackay | Hatfield | Dean of Edinburgh (1939-1954) | [417] |
Geoff Miller | ? | Dean of Newcastle (2018–) | [418] |
John Seaford | St Chad's | Dean of Jersey (1993–2005) | [419] |
Edward Shotter | ? | Dean of Rochester (1989–2003) | [420] |
Michael Tavinor | University | Dean of Hereford (2002–2021) | [421] |
Name | College | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Guillaume of Luxembourg | University | Heir apparent of the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg (2000–) | [440] |
Emmanuel de Merode | ? | Prince of the House of Merode; Director of Virunga National Park (2008–) | [441] |
Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi | ? | Emir of Sharjah (1972–) | [442] |
Faisal bin Mishaal Al Saud | ? | Prince of the House of Saud; Governor of Al-Qassim Province (2015–) | [443] |
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 | [444] |
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 | [445] |
Angus Groom | Hatfield | BSc Natural Sciences | Silver medal (Quad sculls) at 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021) in Tokyo | [446] |
Sophie Hosking | Trevs | BSc Chemistry and Physics | Gold medal (lightweight double sculls) at 2012 Olympics in London | [447] |
Stephen Rowbotham | Collingwood | BA Business Economics | Bronze medal (double sculls) at 2008 Olympics in Beijing | [448] |
Lily van den Broecke | Castle | BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics | Gold medal (mixed coxed four) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics | [449] |
Collingwood College is a college of Durham University in England. It is the largest of Durham's undergraduate colleges with around 1800 students. Founded in 1972 as the first purpose-built, mixed-sex college in Durham, it is named after the mathematician Sir Edward Collingwood (1900–1970), who was a former Chair of the Council of Durham University.
Durham Students' Union, operating as Durham SU, is the students' union of Durham University in Durham, England. It is an organisation, originally set up as the Durham Colleges Students’ Representative Council in 1899 and renamed in 1969, with the intention of representing and providing welfare and services for the students of the University of Durham.
St Aidan's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. It had its origins in 1895 as the association of women home students, formalised in 1947 as St Aidan's Society. In 1961, it became a full college of the university, and in 1964 moved to new modernist buildings on Elvet Hill designed by Sir Basil Spence.
Van Mildert College is a college of Durham University in England. Founded in 1965, it takes its name from William Van Mildert, Prince-Bishop of Durham from 1826 to 1836 and a leading figure in the University's 1832 foundation. Originally an all-male college, it became co-educational in 1972 with the admission of female undergraduates.
Durham Law School is the law school of Durham University in Durham, England. In 2022, Durham Law was ranked 5th in the UK in a league table which averaged the rankings of the Complete University Guide, The Guardian and the Times University League Table. Durham Law School is ranked 42nd in the world for law in the 2023 Times Higher Education ranking and 46th in the world for law by the 2023 QS ranking.
A head of college or head of house is the head or senior member of a college within a collegiate university. The title used varies between colleges, including dean, master, president, principal, provost, rector and warden.
The Colleges of Durham University are residential colleges that are the primary source of accommodation and support services for undergraduates and postgraduates at Durham University, as well as providing a focus for social, cultural and sporting life for their members, and offering bursaries and scholarships to students. They also provide funding and/or accommodation for some of the research posts in the University. All students at the University are required to be members of one of the colleges.
The history of Durham University spans over 190 years since it was founded by Act of Parliament. King William IV granted royal assent to the Act on 4 July 1832, and granted the university a royal charter on 1 June 1837, incorporating it and confirming its constitution. The university awarded its first degrees on 8 June 1837. It describes itself as the third-oldest university in England and is listed by the European University Association as one of Europe's oldest hundred universities in continuous operation.
Durham University is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to open in England for more than 600 years, after Oxford and Cambridge, and is thus the third-oldest university in England. As a collegiate university, its main functions are divided between the academic departments of the university and its 17 colleges. In general, the departments perform research and provide teaching to students, while the colleges are responsible for their domestic arrangements and welfare.
Michael John Everitt is a British Anglican priest.
Richard John Gillings is a British retired Anglican priest. He served as Archdeacon of Macclesfield from 1994 to 2010.
Edward Leslie Seager was Archdeacon of Dorset from 1955 to 1974.
Eric Ancrum Buchan was Archdeacon of Coventry from 1965 to 1977.
David Williams (1862–1936) was the Archdeacon of Cardigan from 1928 until his death.
John Salusbury Brewis was an English Anglican priest. He was the Principal of St Chad's College, Durham from 1937 to 1947, and the Archdeacon of Doncaster from 1947 to 1954.
John Richard Dobson DL is a British Church of England priest. Since 2014, he has been the dean of Ripon. Previously, he was a curate in County Durham and a vicar in Darlington. He also held the senior posts of area dean of Darlington and chair of the House of Clergy of the Durham Diocesan Synod.
Sarah Elizabeth Clark is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2019, she has served as Bishop of Jarrow, the suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Durham in the Church of England. She was Archdeacon of Nottingham from 2014 to 2019.
Gordon Lewis Phillips was an Anglican priest and author.
John Stuart Bain was the Archdeacon of Sunderland from 2002 until 2018.
Ronald David Hesketh, is a British Anglican priest and retired military chaplain. From 2001 to 2006, he served as Chaplain-in-Chief, and thereby head of the Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch, and Archdeacon for the Royal Air Force.
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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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