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British Academy lecture series
The Academy currently has twenty-three established lecture series:
Aspects of Art Lectures (Commenced 1916)
This is one of three Academy lecture series established by the Henriette Hertz Trust. Provision was made for a lecture 'on some problem or aspect of the relation of Art in any of its manifestations to human culture; Art including Poetry and Music as well as Sculpture and Painting'.
Isaiah Berlin Lectures (Commenced 2001)
This is a new addition to the Academy's programme of lectures, established under the will of Sir Isaiah Berlin (President of the Academy 1974-78). The lecture is intended to appraise the contemporary condition of any one of the fields of learning with which the Academy is concerned.
British Academy Lectures (Commenced 1998)
The annual keynote British Academy Lecture was established to mark the Academy's move to new headquarters in Carlton House Terrace in 1998. The lecture is intended to address a wider audience than the purely scholarly and to advance public understanding of the subjects which the Academy exists to promote. In general, the chosen subject will alternate between the humanities and social sciences.
Chatterton Lectures on Poetry (Commenced 1955)
This series was established in 1954 under the will of E H W Meyerstein of Gray's Inn. A sum was fixed for the funding of an annual lecture to be given by a lecturer under the age of 40 on the life and works of a deceased English poet (interpreted as 'a deceased poet writing in the English language').
Dawes Hicks Lectures on Philosophy (Commenced 1955)
This series began in 1954, according to provisions made in the will of George Dawes Hicks, Professor of Philosophy at the University of London. Periodic lectures were to be given on 'subjects relating to the History of Philosophy, either ancient or modern'. The first lecture, 'Bergson on Morality', was given by F C Copleston in 1955.
Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lectures (Commenced 1924)
In 1924 a Biennial Lecture on English Studies was endowed by Mrs Frida Mond. The series deals with 'Old English or Early English Language and Literature, or a philological subject connected with the history of English, more particularly during the early periods of the language, or cognate subjects, or some textual study and interpretation'.
Italian Lectures (Commenced 1917)
In 1916 Mrs Angela Mond offered funds for a lecture series 'to be on some subject relating to Italian literature, history, art, history of Italian science, Italy's part in the Renaissance, Italian influences on other countries, and any other theme which the Council may consider as coming within the scope of such a Lecture'.
Elie Kedourie Memorial Lectures (Commenced 1996)
Members of the Kedourie family decided in 1993 to establish a Fund by appeal, to be administered by the British Academy in memory of the distinguished modern historian and political philosopher Elie Kedourie, elected a Fellow in 1975. The Fund's principal purpose was to establish an annual lecture in modern history, preference being given to subjects in Middle Eastern and modern European history and so reflect Professor Kedourie's own interests.
Keynes Lectures in Economics (Commenced 1971)
This is an annual series, proposed by the economists within the Academy and inaugurated in 1971. The lectures are devoted to an up-to-date survey of theoretical research and trends of thought in the field of economics.
Maccabaean Lectures in Jurisprudence (Commenced 1956)
These lectures, delivered biennially, may be on any aspect of Jurisprudence. An endowment for the series was offered to the Academy in 1956 by the Maccabaeans, a society of Jewish professional men with a strong interest in the law, to mark the tercentenary of the Jewish resettlement in England under Cromwell.
Master-Mind Lectures (Commenced 1916)
Miss Henriette Hertz provided for a lecture to be devoted to 'some Master-Mind considered individually with reference to his life and work especially in order to appraise the essential elements of his Genius: the subject to be chosen from the great Philosophers, Artists, Poets, Musicians'.
Sarah Tryphena Phillips Lectures in American Literature and History (Commenced 1961)
Dr Carl Bode, who was Cultural Attaché at the US Embassy in London 1958-9, put forward the idea of a series of lectures on American Literature. In 1960 an endowment from the Ellis L Phillips Foundation was offered for a biennial series to be called the Sarah Tryphena Phillips Lectures, and it was decided that the scope of these should include American history, although the emphasis would be on literature.
Philosophical Lectures (Commenced 1914)
This series was established under the will of Miss Henriette Hertz. Provision was made for 'an annual lecture or investigation or paper on a philosophical problem or some problems in the philosophy of Western or Eastern Civilization in Ancient or Modern times or discussions of theories of the Phenomena of life to Eternity'. É Boutroux gave the inaugural lecture in 1914 on 'Certitude et Vérité'.
Radcliffe-Brown Lectures in Social Anthropology (Commenced 1972)
This biennial series was established in 1972 by the Academy and the Association of Social Anthropologists and named after the Association's first President, A R Radcliffe-Brown, FBA, who was also the first Professor of Social Anthropology in the University of Oxford.
Raleigh Lectures on History (Commenced 1919)
In October 1918 Sir Charles Wakefield, formerly Lord Mayor of London and later Lord Wakefield, offered to the Academy through the then Secretary, Sir Israel Gollancz, the sum of £500 a year for at least five years to commemorate the tercentenary of Sir Walter Raleigh. From this fund, the annual history lecture was founded. Since 1974 the subject has been drawn on a regular rotating basis from the medieval, early modern and modern fields.
Albert Reckitt Archaeological Lectures (Commenced 1951)
The Reckitt Archaeological Trust, which was established by the late Mr Albert L Reckitt for the furtherance of archaeological research, was transferred in 1950 to the British Academy, and it was decided amongst other things to establish a biennial lecture series in memory of the founder.
Sir John Rhys Memorial Lectures (Commenced 1925)
In May 1924 a memorial fund was offered to the Academy 'for the promotion of Welsh and other studies'. This was to commemorate the services of the Rt Hon Sir John Rhys, Professor of Celtic, Principal of Jesus College, Oxford, and a Fellow of the British Academy, and Sir John himself was the subject of the inaugural lecture in this biennial series, given by J Morris-Jones in 1925.
Schweich Lectures on Biblical Archaeology (Commenced 1908)
The Leopold Schweich Trust Fund, set up in 1907, was a gift from Miss Constance Schweich in memory of her father. It provided for three public lectures to be delivered annually (now triennially) on subjects related to 'the archaeology, art, history, languages and literature of Ancient Civilization with reference to Biblical Study'.
Shakespeare Lectures (Commenced 1911)
In 1910 Mrs Frida Mond provided for the foundation of two lecture series: the Shakespeare Lecture and the Warton Lecture. In a letter to the Secretary, Sir Israel Gollancz, Mrs Mond asked for an annual lecture to be delivered 'on or about 23rd April on some Shakespearean subject, philosophical, historical, or philological, or some problem in English dramatic literature and histrionic art, or some study in literature of the age of Shakespeare. In order to emphasize the world-wide devotion to Shakespeare, any person, whether man or woman, of any nationality, shall be eligible to deliver the Shakespeare oration or lecture'.
Thank-Offering to Britain Fund Lectures (Commenced 1966)
In 1965 the proceeds of a 'Thank-you Britain' appeal, initiated by the Association of Jewish Refugees, were presented to the Academy as a token of gratitude from the people who had sought refuge in this country from the oppression of the Nazis. One of the purposes of the fund was to set up a Research Fellowship; the other was to establish a 'Thank-offering to Britain' Lecture.
Warton Lectures on English Poetry (Commenced 1910)
Mrs Frida Mond requested that an annual lecture be given as a tribute to Thomas Warton, 'the first historian of English poetry, whose work not only led the way to the scientific study of English Literature, but also stimulated creative genius, and played no small part in the Romantic Revival'.
Mortimer Wheeler Archaeological Lectures (Commenced 1971)
On the proposal of Council an annual lecture series was established with Academy funds to commemorate Sir Mortimer Wheeler's eightieth birthday, which was in September 1970. Sir Mortimer himself chose the first lecturer, Mr J B Ward-Perkins, who spoke in February 1971 on 'Quarrying in Antiquity: Technology, Tradition and Social Change'.
Elsley Zeitlyn Lectures on Chinese Archaeology and Culture (Commenced 2001)
This new addition to the Academy's programme of lectures has been established through a bequest from Miss M H Zeitlyn. It is intended that this annual lecture should be accompanied by a small related exhibition at the Academy.