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The chancellor is the ceremonial head of Durham University, with the formal duties of conferring degrees at congregations and of being an ambassador for the university. They are nominated by the council and senate in joint session and appointed by convocation, determined by the majority of votes of members of congregation present and voting.[1][2][3] The incumbent is Fiona Hill, who was appointed by convocation in November 2022 and installed in June 2023.[4][5]
Until 1909, the university was governed by the dean and chapter of Durham Cathedral, with the warden (held ex officio by the Dean of Durham from 1862) being both the formal and executive head of the university. Following the implementation of statutes made in 1909 under the University of Durham Act 1908, the warden became the chancellor and the sub-warden the vice-chancellor, meaning Durham was, like most other British universities, headed by a chancellor.[6][7]
- 1909–1912 George William Kitchin, Dean of Durham[8]
- 1913–1918 Henry Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland[8]
- 1919–1928 John Lambton, 3rd Earl of Durham[8]
- 1929–1930 Alan Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland[8]
- 1931–1949 Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry[8]
- 1950–1957 G. M. Trevelyan[8]
- 1958–1969 Lawrence Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough[8]
- 1971–1980 Malcolm MacDonald[8]
- 1981–1990 Dame Margot Fonteyn[8] (first non-royal female chancellor of a British university)[9]
- 1992–2004 Sir Peter Ustinov[8]
- 2005–2011 Bill Bryson[8][10]
- 2012–July 2022 Sir Thomas Allen[8][11][12]
- From 2023 Fiona Hill[8][4]
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