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| Viscount Goderich - the first RGS President |
I don't intend to repeat the effort that went into the GA Presidents blog and write a detailed biography of every President - I'm not going to be serving as President after all. I hope to catch up with all the people who have held the post of Vice President: Education though, and also identify Presidents who gave particular support (or not) for Education e.g. Sir Clements Markham held some particularly robust views on the matter of Education.
Having said that, there are some really interesting people here, so I may get stuck in to some of them going forward.
The first President at the time of the RGS' founding was Viscount Goderich, who also served as Prime Minister (although only for 144 days, which is still longer than Liz Truss) and Chancellor of the Exchequer.
This was before the later merger with the Institute of British Geographers.
There have been many other illustrious holders of the role, and some who were a little 'problematic' in their political or ideological views, links to Colonialism and less than ideal actions - as you would expect in any organisation going back to the 1800s (including the Geographical Association)
Equally, others will be remembered for their philanthropy, scientific endeavour and advancement of the discipline, or their personal globetrotting and exploration.
Some were connected with Polar exploration - a rich area for educational enquiry and discussion - Sir James Wordie for example travelled with Shackleton on the Transantarctic Expedition, and also helped plan Hillary and Tenzing's conquest of Everest - quite a CV.
Some of them had links with the Society's Education work. I shall explore these further using research and appropriate documentation.
A number of them were also Presidents of the Geographical Association.
Presidents1830–1833 Frederick, Viscount Goderich
1833–1835 Sir George Murray
1835–1837 Sir John Barrow
1837–1839 William Richard Hamilton
1839–1841 George Greenough
1841–1843 William Richard Hamilton
1843–1845 Sir Roderick Murchison
1845–1847 Charles, Lord Colchester
1847–1849 William J. Hamilton
1849–1851 Admiral William Smyth
1851–1853 Sir Roderick Murchison
1853–1855 Francis, Earl of Ellesmere
1855–1856 Frederick William Beechey
1856–1859 Sir Roderick Murchison
1859–1860 George, Earl de Grey and Ripon
1860–1862 Bingham, Lord Ashburton
1862–1871 Sir Roderick Murchison
1871–1873 Sir Henry Rawlinson
1873–1874 Sir Henry Frere
1874–1876 Sir Henry Rawlinson
1876–1878 Sir Rutherford Alcock
1878–1879 Frederick, Earl of Dufferin
1879–1880 Thomas, Earl of Northbrook
1880–1885 Henry, Lord Aberdare
1885–1886 John, Marquis of Lorne
1886–1887 Henry, Lord Aberdare
1887–1889 Sir Richard Strachey
1889–1893 Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff
1893–1905 Sir Clements Markham
1905–1908 Sir George Goldie
1908–1911 Leonard Darwin
1911–1914 George, Earl Curzon of Kedleston
1914–1917 Douglas Freshfield
1917–1919 Sir Thomas Holdich
1919–1922 Francis Younghusband
1925–1927 David George Hogarth
1927–1930 Charles Close
1930–1933 Admiral Sir William Goodenough
1933–1936 Sir Percy Cox
1936–1938 Henry Balfour
1938–1941 Sir Philip Chetwode
1941–1945 Sir George Clerk
1945–1948 Francis, Lord Rennell
1948–1951 Sir Harry Lindsay
1951–1954 Sir James Wordie
1954–1958 Sir James Marshall-Cornwall
1958–1961 Roger, Lord Nathan
1961–1963 Raymond Priestley
1963–1966 Sir Dudley Stamp
1966–1969 Sir Gilbert Laithwaite
1969–1971 Sir Edmund Irving
1971–1974 Edward, Lord Shackleton
1974–1977 Sir Duncan Cumming
1977–1980 John, Lord Hunt
1980–1982 Michael Wise
1982–1984 Sir Vivian Fuchs
1984–1987 Sir George Bishop
1987–1989 Roger, Lord Chorley
1989–1993 Sir Crispin Tickell
1993–1997 George, Earl Jellicoe
1997–2000 John, Earl Selborne
2000–2003 Sir Ronald Cooke
2003–2006 Sir Neil Cossons
2006–2009 Sir Gordon Conway
2009–2012 Sir Michael Palin
2012–2015 Dame Judith Rees
2015–2018 Nicholas Crane
2018–2021 Lynda, Baroness Chalker
2021–2024 Nigel Clifford
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