Presidential addresses

The President of the British Academy always delivers an address to the Annual General Meeting. Cumulatively, they provide snapshots of the Academy’s activities and concerns over the years.

2022 Presidential Address by Julia Black

2021 Valedictory Presidential Address by David Cannadine

2020 Presidential Address by David Cannadine

2019  Presidential Address by David Cannadine, 2019.pdf

2018 David Cannadine

2017 Nicholas Stern ; David Cannadine

2015 Nicholas Stern

2014 Nicholas Stern

2013 Adam Roberts ; Nicholas Stern

2012 Adam Roberts

2011 Adam Roberts

2010 Adam Roberts

2009 Adam Roberts

2008 Onora O’Neill


2003 W G Runciman

2002 W G Runciman (‘Two Bodies, One Culture’, speech at the Centenary Dinner)

2001 Tony Wrigley

2000 Tony Wrigley

1999 Tony Wrigley

1998 Tony Wrigley

1997 Keith Thomas

1996 Keith Thomas

1994 & 1995  Keith Thomas

1993  Anthony Kenny

1992  Anthony Kenny


1983 Owen Chadwick

1982 Owen Chadwick

1981 Kenneth Dover

1980 Kenneth Dover

1979 Kenneth Dover

1978 Isaiah Berlin

1977 Isaiah Berlin

1976 Isaiah Berlin

1975 Isaiah Berlin

1974 Denys Page

1973 Denys Page

1972 Denys Page

1971 Kenneth Wheare

1970 Kenneth Wheare

1969 Kenneth Wheare

1968 Kenneth Wheare

1967 Lionel Robbins

1966 Lionel Robbins

1965 Lionel Robbins

1964 Lionel Robbins

1963 Lionel Robbins

1962 Maurice Bowra

1961 Maurice Bowra

1960 Maurice Bowra

1959 Maurice Bowra

1958 George Clark

1957 George Clark

1956 George Clark

1955 George Clark

1954 Charles Webster

1953 Charles Webster

1952 Charles Webster

1951 Charles Webster

1950 H. Idris Bell

1949 H. Idris Bell

1948 H. Idris Bell

1947 H. Idris Bell

1946 [No published Presidential Address]

1945 John Clapham

1944 John Clapham

1943 John Clapham

1942 John Clapham

1941 John Clapham

1940 David Ross

1939 David Ross

1938 David Ross

1937 David Ross

1936 J W Mackail

1935 J W Mackail

1934 J W Mackail

1933 J W Mackail

1932 H A L Fisher

1922-1931 [No published Presidential Addresses]

1921 F G Kenyon ('The Fellowship of Learning')

1920 F G Kenyon ('International Scholarship')

1919 F G Kenyon

1918 F G Kenyon (‘The Position of an Academy in a Civilized State’)

1917 James Bryce (‘The Next Thirty Years’)

1916 James Bryce

1915 James Bryce

1914  James Bryce

1913 A W Ward

1912, October A W Ward

1912, July A W Ward

1911, October A W Ward

1911, July Lord Reay (Acting President)

1910, June S H Butcher

1909, October S H Butcher

1909 E Maunde Thompson

1908 E Maunde Thompson

1907 Lord Reay

1906 Lord Reay

1905 Lord Reay

1904 Lord Reay

1903 Lord Reay

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