History of the Vice-Chancellorship
The role of Vice-Chancellor has evolved throughout the history of the University. Until 1504, the Statutes of the University required the Chancellor to be resident in Cambridge. The Vice-Chancellors were appointed as the Chancellor's deputy, to act only in his absence.
In the early 16th century, the Chancellorship became a non-residential position. The Vice-Chancellorship became an annually elected position. The Vice-Chancellors were elected from among the Heads of Colleges within the University. From 1587 to 1992, the post was held concurrently with the headship of a College.
Since 1992, the Vice-Chancellorship is a full-time position. Vice Chancellors are appointed for a period of at least five years. They are chosen from an international pool of candidates. The Vice Chancellor can no longer hold a College Headship or other University post at the same time.
List of former Vice-Chancellors
| Date elected | Name | Significant College memberships |
|---|---|---|
| 1412 | Thomas Ashwell | |
| 1417 | Henry Stockton | |
| 1418 | Nicholas de Swaffham | |
| 1454, 55 | Nicholas Gay | PET |
| 1457 | William Millington | Provost, K |
| 1463, 64 | John Roclyffe | PET |
| 1465, 66 | Thomas Stoyle | Master, CL |
| 1467 | William Uttyng | |
| 1468 | William Smyth | |
| 1470-72 | Edmund Conisborough | CC |
| 1472-75 | Thomas Stoyle (again) | |
| 1475, 76 | William Towne | |
| 1485 | Thomas Tuppin | |
| 1487, 88 | John Riplingham | Vice-President Q |
| 1489 | John Camberton | Fellow PEM |
| 1493 | William Rawson | Fellow PEM |
| 1494, 95 | William Stockdale | Fellow PET |
| 1495 | John Dolman [Dowman] | |
| 1496 | Henry Rudd | |
| 1497 | John Smith | Fellow K |
| 1499, 1500 | John Smith (again) | Fellow K |
| 1500 | Henry Babington | Fellow PET |
| 1501 | John Fisher | Master Mich |
| 1502 | Humphrey Fitzwilliam | Fellow PemH |
| 1503 | Geoffrey Knight | Fellow Q |
| 1504 | John Smith (again) | Fellow K |
| 1505 | Richard Burton | |
| 1506 | John Eccleston | Master JE |
| 1507 | William Robson | |
| 1508, 09 | William Buckenham | |
| 1510, 11 | Thomas Thompson | Master CHR |
| 1512, 13 | John Fawne | Vice-President Q |
| 1514, 15 | John Eccleston (again) | Master JE |
| 1516 | Robert Dowsing [Dussing] | |
| 1517 | Edmund Natares [Natures] | Master ClaH |
| 1518, 19 | John Watson | Master CHR |
| 1520 | Ed Natares [Natures] (again) | Master ClaH |
| 1521 | Thomas Stackhouse | Master Mich |
| 1522 | John Edmunds | Master PET |
| 1523 | Thomas Green | Master CathH |
| 1524 | Henry Bullock | Fellow Q |
| 1525, 26 | Ed Natares [Natures] (again) | Master ClaH |
| 1527, 28 | John Edmunds (again) | Master PET |
| 1529 | William Buckmaster | Fellow PET |
| 1530, 31 | John Watson (again) | Master CHR |
| 1532, 33 | Simon Heynes | President Q |
| 1534, 35 | John Crayford | Master ClaH |
| 1536 | Francis Mallet | Master Mich |
| 1537 | George Day | Master JN |
| 1538, 39 | William Buckmaster | Fellow PET |
| 1540 | John Edmunds (again) | Master PET |
| 1540 | Francis Mallet (again) | Master Mich |
| 1541 | Richard Standish | |
| 1542 | John Edmunds (again) | Master PET |
| 1542 | Richard Standish (again) | |
| 1543 | John Edmunds | Master PET |
| 1543, 44 | Sir Thomas Smith | Vice-President Q |
| 1545 | John Madew | Regius Prof. of Divinity |
| 1545 | Matthew Parker | Master CC |
| 1546, 47 | John Madew (again) | Regius Prof. of Divinity |
| 1548 | William Bill | Master JN |
| 1548 | Matthew Parker | Master CC |
| 1549 | Walter Haddon | Fellow K |
| 1550 | John Madew (again) | Regius Prof. of Divinity |
| 1551 | Andrew Perne | Vice-President Q |
| 1552 | Edward Hawford | Senior Proctor CHR |
| 1552 | Edwin Sandys [ejected] | Master CathH |
| 1553 | John Young | Master [1554] PemH |
| 1554 | William Glyn | President Q |
| 1554, 55 | Cuthbert Scott | Master CHR |
| 1556 | Andrew Perne (again) | Vice-President Q |
| 1556 [26/11] | John Pory [Porie] | Master CC |
| 1557, 58 | Robert Brassey | Provost K |
| 1558 [8/11] | Edmund Cosyn | Master CathH |
| 1559 | Andrew Perne (again) | Master Q |
| 1560 | Henry Harvey | Master TH |
| 1561 | Philip Baker | Provost K |
| 1562 | Francis Newton | Fellow T |
| 1563 | Edward Hawford (again) | Master CHR |
| 1564 | Robert Beaumont | Master T |
| 1565 | John Stokes | President Q |
| 1566 | Robert Beaumont | Master T |
| 1567 | Roger Kelke | Master M |
| 1567 [06] | Richard Longworth | Master JN |
| 1568 | John Young | Master PemH |
| 1569 | John May | Master CathH |
| 1570 | John Whitgift | Master T |
| 1571 | Roger Kelke (again) | Master M |
| 1572 | Thomas Bynge | Master ClaH |
| 1573 | John Whitgift (again) | Master T |
| 1574 | Andrew Perne (again) | Master Q |
| 1575 | John Still | Master JN |
| 1576 | Roger Goad | Provost K |
| 1577 | Richard Howland | Master JN |
| 1578 | Thomas Bynge (again) | Master ClaH |
| 1579 | John Hatcher | Fellow JN |
| 1580 | Andrew Perne (again) | Master Q |
| 1581 | William Fulke | Master PemH |
| 1582 | John Bell | Master E |
| 1583 | Richard Howland (again) | Master JN |
| 1584 | Robert Norgate | Master CC |
| 1585 | Humphrey Tindall | President Q |
| 1586 | John Copcot | Master [1587] CC |
| 1587 | Thomas Legge | CAI |
| 1588 | Thomas Nevile | M |
| 1589 | Thomas Preston | TH |
| 1590, 91 | Robert Soame | PET |
| 1592 | Thomas Legge (again) | CAI |
| 1592 | John Still [until appointment to bishopric] | T |
| 1593, 94 | John Duport | JE |
| 1595 | Roger Goad (again) | K |
| 1596-98 | John Jegon | CC |
| 1599 | Robert Soame (again) | PET |
| 1600 | John Jegon (again) | CC |
| 1601 | John Duport (again) | JE |
| 1602 | William Smith | CL |
| 1603, 04 | Cowell, John [2] | TH |
| 1605 | Richard Clayton | JN |
| 1606 | Samuel Harsnett | PEM |
| 1607 | Roger Goad (again) | K |
| 1608 | Thomas Jegon | CC |
| 1609 | John Duport (again) | JE |
| 1610 | Fogge Newton | K |
| 1611 | Barnabas Gooch [Goche] | M |
| 1612 | Valentine Cary | CHR |
| 1613 | Clement Corbet | TH |
| 1614 | Samuel Harsnett, Bishop of Chichester | PEM |
| 1615 | Owen Gwyn | JN |
| 1616 | John Hills | CTH |
| 1617 | John Richardson | T |
| 1618 | William Branthwaite | CAI |
| 1618 | John Gostlyn | CAI |
| 1619 | Robert Scott | CL |
| 1620 | Samuel Ward | SID |
| 1621 | Leonard Mawe | PET |
| 1622 | Jerome Beale | PEM |
| 1623 | Thomas Paske | CL |
| 1624 | John Mansell | Q |
| 1625 | John Gostlyn (again) | CAI |
| 1625, 26 | Henry Smyth | M |
| 1627 | Thomas Bainbridge | CHR |
| 1628 | Matthew Wren | PET |
| 1629-31 | Henry Butts | CC |
| 1631 | Thomas Comber | T |
| 1632 | Benjamin Lany | PEM |
| 1633 | Richard Love | CC |
| 1634 | William Beale | JN |
| 1635 | Henry Smyth (again) | M |
| 1636 | Thomas Comber (again) | T |
| 1637, 38 | Ralph Brownrigg | CTH |
| 1639 | John Cosin | PET |
| 1640-42 | Richard Holdsworth | EM |
| 1643, 44 | Ralph Brownrigg, Bishop of Exeter | CTH |
| 1645, 46 | Thomas Hill | T |
| 1647 | John Arrowsmith | JN |
| 1648 | Anthony Tuckney | EM |
| 1649 | Thomas Horton | Q |
| 1650 | Benjamin Whichcote | K |
| 1651 | Samuel Bolton | CHR |
| 1652 | Richard Minshall | SID |
| 1653 | Lazarus Seaman | PET |
| 1654 | John Lightfoot | CTH |
| 1655, 56 | Theophilus Dillingham | CL |
| 1657 | John Worthington | JE |
| 1658 | John Bond | TH |
| 1659 | William Dillingham | EM |
| 1660 | Henry Ferne | T |
| 1661 | Henry Ferne | T |
| 1662 | Edward Rainbowe | M |
| 1662 [03] | William Dillingham (again) | EM |
| 1663 | Fleetwood, James | K |
| 1664 | Sparrow, Anthony | Q |
| 1665, 66 | Francis Wilford | CC |
| 1666, 67 | John Howorth [Haworth] | M |
| 1667 | James Fleetwood (again) | K |
| 1668 | Edmund Boldero | JE |
| 1669 | James Duport | M |
| 1670 | John Breton [2] | EM |
| 1671 | Robert Mapletoft | PEM |
| 1672 | William Wells | Q |
| 1673 | John Spencer | CC |
| 1674 | Edmund Boldero | JE |
| 1675 | Isaac Barrow | T |
| 1676 | Sir Thomas Page | K |
| 1677 | Thomas Holbech | EM |
| 1678 | Francis Turner | JN |
| 1679 | John Eachard | CTH |
| 1680 | Humfrey Gower | JE / JN |
| 1681 | Nathaniel Coga | PEM |
| 1682 | John Copleston | K |
| 1683 | Henry James | Q |
| 1684 | Samuel Blyth | L |
| 1685 | William Saywell | JE |
| 1686 | John Peachell | M |
| 1687 [17/05] | John Balderston | EM |
| 1687 [04/11] | Hon John Mountague | T |
| 1688 | John Covel | CHR |
| 1689 | James Johnson [1] | SID |
| 1690 | Charles Roderick | K |
| 1691 | Gabriel Quadring | M |
| 1692 | George Oxenden | TH |
| 1693 | William Stanley | CC |
| 1694 | Thomas Browne | PEM |
| 1695 | John Eachard (again) | CTH |
| 1696, 97 | Henry James (again) | Q |
| 1698 | Sir William Dawes | CTH |
| 1699 | Thomas Green [2] | CC |
| 1700 | Richard Bentley | T |
| 1701 | Thomas Richardson | PET |
| 1702 | Charles Ashton | JE |
| 1703 | George Bramston | TH |
| 1704 | Sir John Ellys | CAI |
| 1705 | Bardsey Fisher | SID |
| 1706 | John Balderston (again) | EM |
| 1707 | Edward Lany | PEM |
| 1708 | John Covel (again) | CHR |
| 1709 | Charles Roderick (again) | K |
| 1710 | Sir Nathaniel Lloyd | TH |
| 1711 | Gabriel Quadring (again) | M |
| 1712 | John Adams | K |
| 1713 | Thomas Green [2] (again) | CC |
| 1714 | Thomas Sherlock | CTH |
| 1715 | Daniel Waterland | M |
| 1716 | William Grigg | CL |
| 1717-19 | Sir Thomas Gooch | CAI |
| 1720, 21 | Thomas Crosse | CTH |
| 1722, 23 | Andrew Snape | K |
| 1724 | William Savage | EM |
| 1725 | John Davies | Q |
| 1726 | Joseph Craven | SID |
| 1727 | Robert Lambert | JN |
| 1728 | John Frankland | SID |
| 1729 | Robert Lambert (again) | JN |
| 1730, 31 | Matthias Mawson | CC |
| 1732 | Charles Morgan | CL |
| 1733 | Roger Long | PEM |
| 1734 | William Towers | CHR |
| 1735 | John Adams [2] | SID |
| 1736 | John Wilcox | CL |
| 1737 | William Richardson | EM |
| 1738 | John Whalley | PET |
| 1739 | Edward Hubbard | CTH |
| 1740 | Sir Edward Simpson | TH |
| 1741 | William Sedgwick | Q |
| 1742 | Robert Smith | T |
| 1743 | William George | K |
| 1744 | Kenrick Prescot | CTH |
| 1745 | George Henry Rooke | CHR |
| 1746 | Edmund Castle | CC |
| 1747 | Francis Sawyer Parris | SID |
| 1748 | Thomas Chapman | M |
| 1749, 50 | Edmund Keene | PET |
| 1751 | John Wilcox (again) | CL |
| 1752, 1753 | Philip Yonge | JE |
| 1754 | Hugh Thomas | CHR |
| 1755 | Edmund Law | PET |
| 1756 | John Sumner | K |
| 1757 | John Green [2] | CC |
| 1758 | Lynford Caryl | JE |
| 1759 | Sir James Burrough | CAI |
| 1760 | George Sandby | M |
| 1761 | Robert Plumptre | Q |
| 1762 | Peter Stephen Godard | CL |
| 1763 | William Elliston | SID |
| 1764 | John Barnardiston | CC |
| 1765 | William Samuel Powell | JN |
| 1766 | John Smith [6] | CAI |
| 1767 | Sir James Marriott | TH |
| 1768 | John Hinchliffe | T |
| 1769 | William Richardson (again) | EM |
| 1770 | John Sumner (again) | K |
| 1771 | James Brown | PEM |
| 1772 | William Cooke [3] | K |
| 1773 | Lynford Caryl (again) | JE |
| 1774 | Hon Barton Wallop | M |
| 1775 | Richard Farmer | EM |
| 1776 | John Chevalier | JN |
| 1777 | Hugh Thomas [again, declined] | CHR |
| 1777 [03/12] | Robert Plumptre (again) | Q |
| 1778 | William Colman | CC |
| 1779 | Lowther Yates | CTH |
| 1780 | John Barker | CHR |
| 1781, 82 | Richard Beadon | JE |
| 1783 | John Torkington | CL |
| 1784 | Peter Peckard | M |
| 1785 | Joseph Turner | PEM |
| 1786 [11/04] | Sir James Marriott [again, declined] | TH |
| 1786 [18/11] | William Elliston (again) | SID |
| 1787 | Richard Farmer (again) | EM |
| 1788 | Francis Barnes | PET |
| 1789 | William Pearce | JE |
| 1790 | William Craven [2] | JN |
| 1791 | Thomas Postlethwaite | T |
| 1792 | Isaac Milner | Q |
| 1793 | William Colman (again) | CC |
| 1794 | Lowther Yates (again) | CTH |
| 1795 | Philip Douglas | CC |
| 1796 | Richard Belward [formerly Fisher] | CAI |
| 1797 | Robert Towerson Cory | EM |
| 1798 | Humphrey Sumner | K |
| 1799 | William Lort Mansel | T |
| 1800 | William Gretton | M |
| 1801 | Joseph Procter | CTH |
| 1802 | Humphrey Sumner (again) | K |
| 1803 | Martin Davy | CAI |
| 1804 | John Torkington (again) | CL |
| 1805 | Joseph Turner (again) | PEM |
| 1806 | William Pearce (again) | JE |
| 1807 | Francis Barnes (again) | PET |
| 1808 | Edward Pearson | SID |
| 1809 | Isaac Milner (again) | Q |
| 1810 | Philip Douglas (again) | CC |
| 1811 | Thomas Browne [2] | CHR |
| 1812 | John Davie | SID |
| 1813 [11/10] | Robert Towerson Cory (again) | EM |
| 1813 [04/11] | William Chafy [2] | SID |
| 1814 | George Thackeray | K |
| 1815 | John Kaye | CHR |
| 1816 | James Wood | JN |
| 1817 | William Webb | CL |
| 1818 | Hon George Neville | M |
| 1819 | William Frere | DOW |
| 1820 | Christopher Wordsworth [2] | T |
| 1821 | William French | JE |
| 1822 | Henry Godfrey | Q |
| 1823 | John Lamb [1] | CC |
| 1824 | Thomas Le Blanc | TH |
| 1825 | Joseph Procter (again) | CTH |
| 1826 | Christopher Wordsworth [2] (again) | T |
| 1827 | Martin Davy (again) | CAI |
| 1828 | Gilbert Ainslie | PEM |
| 1829 | William Chafy [2] (again) | SID |
| 1830 | George Thackeray (again) | K |
| 1831 | John Graham | CHR |
| 1832 | William Webb (again) | CL |
| 1833 | Joshua King | Q |
| 1834 | William French (again) | JE |
| 1835 | George John Archdale [Archdall] | EM |
| 1836 | Gilbert Ainslie (again) | PEM |
| 1837 | Thomas Worsley | DOW |
| 1838 | William Hodgson | PET |
| 1839 | Ralph Tatham | JN |
| 1840 | John Graham (again) | CHR |
| 1841 | George John Archdale [Archdall] (again) | EM |
| 1842 | William Whewell | T |
| 1843 | William Hodgson (again) | PET |
| 1844 | Robert Phelps | SID |
| 1845 | Ralph Tatham (again) | JN |
| 1846 | Henry Philpott | CTH |
| 1847 | Robert Phelps (again) | SID |
| 1848 | Henry Wilkinson Cookson | PET |
| 1849 | James Cartmell | CHR |
| 1850 | George Elwes Corrie | JE |
| 1851 | Richard Okes | K |
| 1852 | James Pulling | CC |
| 1853 | Thomas Charles Geldart | TH |
| 1854 | Edwin Guest | CAI |
| 1855 | William Whewell (again) | T |
| 1856, 57 | Henry Philpott (again) | CTH |
| 1858 | William Henry Bateson | JN |
| 1859, 60 | Hon Latimer Neville | M |
| 1861 | George Phillips | Q |
| 1862 | Edward Atkinson | CL |
| 1863, 64 | Henry Wilkinson Cookson (again) | PET |
| 1865, 66 | Cartmell, James (again) | CHR |
| 1867 | William Hepworth Thompson | T |
| 1868, 69 | Edward Atkinson (again) | CL |
| 1870, 71 | John Power | PEM |
| 1872, 73 | Henry Wilkinson Cookson (again) | PET |
| 1874, 75 | Samuel George Phear | EM |
| 1876, 77 | Edward Atkinson (again) | CL |
| 1878 | John Power (again) | PEM |
| 1879, 80 | Edward Henry Perowne | CC |
| 1881, 82 - 84 | James Porter | PET |
| 1884 [10/01] | Norman McLeod Ferrers | CAI |
| 1885 | Charles Anthony Swainson | CHR |
| 1886, 87 | Charles Taylor | JN |
| 1888, 89 | Charles Edward Searle | PEM |
| 1889 [10], 90 | Henry Montagu Butler | T |
| 1891, 92 | John Peile | CHR |
| 1893, 94 | Augustus Austen Leigh | K |
| 1895, 96 | Charles Smith [3] | SID |
| 1897, 98 | Alex Hill | DOW |
| 1899, 1900 | William Chawner | EM |
| 1901 | Sir Adolphus William Ward | PET |
| 1902, 03 | Frederick Henry Chase | Q |
| 1904, 05 | Edward Anthony Beck | TH |
| 1906, 07 | Ernest Stewart Roberts | CAI |
| 1908, 09 | Arthur James Mason | PEM |
| 1910, 11 | Robert Forsyth Scott | JN |
| 1912, 13 | Stuart A Donaldson [resigned] | M |
| 1913, 14 | Montague Rhodes James | K |
| 1915, 16 | Thomas Cecil Fitzpatrick | Q |
| 1917, 18 | Sir Arthur Everett Shipley | CHR |
| 1919, 20 | Peter Giles | EM |
| 1921 - 23 | Edmund Courtenay Pearce | CC |
| 1924, 25 | Sir Albert Charles Seward | DOW |
| 1926, 27 | George Arthur Weekes | SID |
| 1928 | Thomas Cecil Fitzpatrick (again) | Q |
| 1929, 30 | Allen Beville Ramsay | M |
| 1931, 32 | Will Spens | CC |
| 1933, 34 | John Forbes Cameron | CAI |
| 1935, 36 | Godfrey Harold Alfred Wilson | CL |
| 1937, 38 | Henry Roy Dean | TH |
| 1939, 40 | Ernest Alfred Benians | JN |
| 1941, 42 | John Archibald Venn | Q |
| 1943, 44 | Thomas Shirley Hele | EM |
| 1945, 46 | Henry Thirkill | CL |
| 1947, 48 | Charles Earle Raven | CHR |
| 1949, 50 | Sydney Castle Roberts | PEM |
| 1951, 52 | Sir Lionel Ernest Howard Whitby | DOW |
| 1953, 54 | Rt Hon Henry Urmston Willink | M |
| 1955, 56 | Brian Westerdale Downs | CHR |
| 1957, 58 | Edgar Douglas Adrian, Lord Adrian | T |
| 1959, 60 | Sir Herbert Butterfield | PET |
| 1961, 62 | Sir William Ivor Jennings | TH |
| 1963, 64 | John Sandwith Boys Smith | JN |
| 1965, 66 | Arthur Llewellyn Armitage | Q |
| 1967, 68 | Sir Eric Ashby | CL |
| 1969, 70 | Revd William Owen Chadwick, OM KBE | SEL |
| 1971, 72 | William Alexander Deer | TH |
| 1973, 74 | John Wilfrid Linnett | SID |
| 1975, 76 | Dame Alice Rosemary Murray | NH |
| 1977, 78 | Sir Alan Howard Cottrell | JE |
| 1979, 80 | Sir Henry Peter Francis Swinnerton-Dyer | CTH |
| 1981, 82 | Sir Francis Harry Hinsley | JN |
| 1983, 84 | Sir William John Hughes Butterfield | DOW |
| 1985, 86 | Richard Hume Adrian, 2nd Lord Adrian | PEM |
| 1987, 88 | Michael William McCrum | CC |
| 1989–96 | Sir David Glyndwr Tudor Williams | W |
| 1996–2003 | Alec Nigel Broers, Lord Broers | CHU |
| 2003–10 | Dame Alison Fettes Richard | N |
| 2010–17 | Sir Leszek Krysztof Borysiewicz | W |
| 2017–2022 | Stephen J Toope | T |
| 2022–2023 | Anthony Freeling [acting Vice-Chancellor] | JN |
| 2023– | Deborah Prentice |