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This page serves as a central navigational point for lists of more than 2,350 members of the University of Oxford, divided into relevant groupings for ease of use. The vast majority were students at the university, although they did not necessarily take a degree; others have held fellowships at one of the university's colleges; many fall into both categories. This page does not include people whose only connection with the university consists in the award of an honorary degree or an honorary fellowship.

The list has been divided into categories indicating the field of activity in which people have become well known. Many of the university's alumni/ae, or old members, as they are more traditionally known, have attained a level of distinction in more than one field. These appear only in the category with which it is felt they are most often associated, or in which they have been more recently involved. Hence Jeffrey Archer (Brasenose), a novelist, is listed as a life peer; Imran Khan (Keble), a former captain of the Pakistani cricket team, is listed as a Pakistani politician. Some academic disciplines are more difficult to define than others. In particular, many theologians, lawyers, and sociologists work in areas that might be thought to be encompassed by philosophy.

Oxonians (a term for members, students or alumni of the university derived from its Latin name, Academia Oxoniensis) have included two British kings and at least fifteen monarchs of eleven other sovereign states (including five reigning monarchs), twenty-eight British prime ministers, and thirty-five presidents and prime ministers of nineteen other countries. As of July 2019 there are seven Oxonians in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom and two in the Shadow Cabinet. The university lays claim to thirteen saints, ten blesseds, an antipope, nineteen cardinals, and eighty-nine archbishops (including thirty-two of Canterbury and twenty-two of York). The university claims forty-seven Nobel Laureates and three Fields Medallists. The university's oldest student was Gertrud Seidmann, who was awarded a Certificate of Graduate Attainment aged 91.[1]

This list also includes twenty-five princes and princesses (among them the heirs apparent of Belgium and Brunei), thirty-four dukes, nineteen marquesses, eighty-two earls and countesses, forty-six viscounts and viscountesses, and 188 barons and baronesses; 246 bishops (Anglican and Catholic); 291 Members of Parliament (excluding MPs who were subsequently peers), eleven Members of the European Parliament (excluding MEPs also serving at Westminster), twelve Lord Chancellors, nine Lord Chief Justices and twenty-two law lords; ten US Senators, ten US Representatives (including a Speaker of the House), three state governors, and four associate justices of the US Supreme Court; as well as six puisne justices of the Supreme Court of Canada and a chief justice of the now defunct Federal Court of Canada.

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Government

Monarchs

British

Foreign

Royalty

British

Foreign

Heads of state and heads of government

British Prime Ministers

Other countries

His Majesty's Government

Shadow Cabinet

House of Lords and House of Commons

Members of the European Parliament

British local politicians

British civil servants

British diplomats

Members of the British Royal Household

British military, security, and police personnel

Foreign politicians, civil servants, diplomats, and military personnel

Non-government people in British public life

Non-government people in public life overseas

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Law

Lord Chancellors and Lord Chief Justices

Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (Law Lords)

Other judges and lawyers: United Kingdom

Judges and lawyers: other countries

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Religions

Christianity

Saints

Blessed

Pope

Cardinals

Archbishops of Canterbury

Archbishops of York

Other Archbishops, Presiding Bishops, and Metropolitans

Other Bishops

Clergy and other ministers

Theologians

Islam

Judaism

Sikhism

Bahá'í

Buddhism

Study of Religions

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Literature

Poets

Poets Laureate

Other Poets

Novelists and story writers

Dramatists

Children's writers

Scholars, critics, diarists, publishers, librarians

Travel and non-fiction writers

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Media

Many journalists work in both print and broadcast media. The following are listed under the medium for which they are best known. Those who are known solely as sports commentators will be found at List of University of Oxford people in sport, exploration, and adventuring.

Print

Editors

Writers

Broadcast

Administration

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The arts

Stage and television

Comedy

Film

Dance

Music

Composers

Conductors

Organists

Pianists

Singers

Musicologists

Administration

Didgeridoo

Jazz

Country

Folk

Rock and pop

  • Robert Anderson (St John's) Director British Museum 1992–2002
  • Thomas P. Campbell Director Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2009–
  • Kenneth Clark, Baron Clark of Saltwood (Trinity) Director National Gallery 1933–46, Surveyor King's Pictures 1934–44, Chairman Arts Council 1953–60
  • Henry Ellis (St John's) Principal Librarian British Museum 1827–56
  • T. D. Kendrick (Oriel) Director and Principal Librarian British Museum 1950–59
  • Frederic G. Kenyon (Magdalen) Director and Principal Librarian British Museum 1909–31
  • Michael Levey (Exeter) Director National Gallery 1973–86
  • Neil MacGregor (New College) Director National Gallery 1987–2002, Director British Museum 2002–, Chairman World Collections 2008–
  • Edward Maunde Thompson (University) Principal Librarian British Museum 1888–98, Director and Principal Librarian 1898–1909
  • Nicholas Penny (Balliol) Director National Gallery 2008–
  • John Pope-Hennessy (Balliol) Director Victoria and Albert Museum 1967–73, Director and Principal Librarian British Museum 1974–76, Director 1976–79
  • John Wolfenden, Baron Wolfenden (Magdalen) V-C Reading Univ 1950–63, Chmn Wolfenden Cttee 1954–57, Chmn Univ Grants Cttee 1963–68, Dir & Prin Lib Brit Mus 1969–74

Art and history of art

Architecture

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Academic disciplines

This includes:

  • Law
  • Theology and the Study of Religions
  • Historians
  • Classicists, Byzantinists, Archaeologists
  • Modern Languages
  • Philosophers
  • Economists
  • Geography
  • Anthropology and ethnography
  • Sociology
  • Politics, political philosophy, and international relations
  • Asian studies
  • Mathematicians and statisticians
  • Scientists
    • Naturalists, botanists, and zoologists
    • Medicine
    • Psychologists, psychiatrists, and physiologists of the brain
    • Chemists
    • Physicists and astronomers
      • Astronomers Royal
      • Other physicists and astronomers
    • Computers, electronics, and robotics
    • Engineering and agriculture
    • Geology
    • Meteorology
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Educationalists

Sports people, explorers and adventurers

Business people

Chefs and wine experts

Fictional Oxonians

See also

References

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