The Lord Rector (more commonly known just as the Rector ) of the University of Glasgow is one of the most senior posts within that institution, elected every three years by students. The theoretical role of the Rector is to represent students to the senior management of the University and raise issues which concern them. In order to achieve this, the Rector is the statutory chair of the Court , the governing body of the University.
The position's place in the university was enshrined by statute in the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889 , which provided for the election of a Rector at all of the universities in existence at the time in Scotland (being St Andrews , Glasgow , Aberdeen and Edinburgh ). Students of the University of Dundee also elect a Rector .
The current Rector is Edward Snowden , the former NSA contractor and whistleblower, the first American to serve in this capacity.
Former Rectors [ edit ]
Students have not always voted for working rectors; anti-apartheid activists Winnie Mandela (1987–1990) and Albert Lutuli (1962–1965) were elected on the understanding that they would be unable to undertake the position's responsibilities, while Mordechai Vanunu (2005–2008) was unable to fulfil his duties as he was not allowed to leave Israel and Edward Snowden (2014–present) is not expected to fulfill his duties due to an ongoing self-imposed exile in Russia. However, other recent Rectors have been elected on the presumption they will be working rectors, e.g. Ross Kemp (1999–2000), who resigned from the post after the Students' Representative Council voted to request his resignation, such was the extent of student dissatisfaction with his performance. At the Rectorial election in February 2004, no nominations for the post of Rector had been received. Upon the end of Greg Hemphill's term, the University was left without a Rector for the first time in the position's history. The University Senate set another election date for December, when Mordechai Vanunu was elected.
Nations [ edit ]
Until 1977, for Rectorial election purposes, the University was divided into four 'nations' based on the students' birthplace, originally called Clidisdaliae, Thevidaliae, Albaniae and Rosay, and later as Glottiana, Loudoniana, Transforthana and Rothseiana. Three of the 'nations' consisted of defined areas in Scotland, with Loudoniana consisting of students from all other places.[1]
List of Rectors [ edit ]
18th Century University of Glasgow Rectors
Years
Name
Nationality
Biography
1691–1718
Sir John Maxwell of Nether Park
Scotland
Commissioner for Renfrewshire in the Scottish Parliament
1718–1720
Mungo Graham of Gorthie
Scotland
Commr. justiciary for Highlands
1720–1723
Robert Dundas, of Arniston, the elder
Scotland
Lord President of the Court of Session
1723–1725
James Hamilton of Aikenhead
Scotland
1725–1726
Sir Hugh Montgomerie of Hartfield
Scotland
1726–1729
George Ross
Scotland
Master of Ross, 13th Lord Ross
1729–1731
Francis Dunlop of Dunlop
Scotland
1731–1733
John Orr of Barrowfield
Scotland
1733–1738
Colin Campbell of Blythswood
Scotland
1738–1740
George Bogle of Daldowie ,
Scotland
Glasgow Tobacco Lord
1740–1742
John Graham of Dugalston
Scotland
1742–1743
John Orr of Barrowfield
Scotland
1743–1746
George Bogle of Daldowie
Scotland
1746–1748
Sir John Maxwell of Pollock
Scotland
1748–1750
George Bogle of Daldowie
Scotland
1750–1753
Sir John Maxwell of Pollock
Scotland
1753–1755
William Mure of Caldwell
Scotland
1755–1757
John Boyle
Scotland
The 3rd Earl of Glasgow
1757–1759
Patrick Boyle, Lord Shewalton
Scotland
1759–1761
James Milliken of Milliken
Scotland
1761–1763
The 15th Earl of Erroll
Scotland
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
1763–1764
Thomas Miller
Scotland
Lord Glenlee, Lord Advocate
1764–1767
William Mure of Caldwell
Scotland
1767–1768
Dunbar Douglas
Scotland
The 4th Earl of Selkirk
1768–1770
Sir Adam Ferguson of Kilkerran
Scotland
1770–1772
Robert Ord
Scotland
1772–1773
Lord Frederick Campbell
Scotland
Parliamentarian, Lord Clerk Register
1773–1775
Charles Schaw Cathcart ,
Scotland
9th Lord Cathcart, General (British Army) , Ambassador to Russia
1775–1777
Sir James William Montgomery
Scotland
Lord Advocate , Chief Baron of Exchequer
1777–1779
Andrew Stewart of Torrance
Scotland
1779–1781
The 7th Earl of Lauderdale
Scotland
Representative peer
1781–1783
Henry Dundas
Scotland
Lord President of the Court of Session
1783–1785
Edmund Burke
Ireland
Philosopher
1785–1787
Robert Graham of Gartmore
Scotland
Parliamentarian, former student
1787–1789
Prof. Adam Smith
Scotland
Professor of Moral Philosophy , author of The Wealth of Nations , former student
1789–1791
Walter Campbell of Shawfield
Scotland
1791–1793
Thomas Kennedy of Dunure
Scotland
1793–1795
William Mure of Caldwell
Scotland
1795–1797
William McDowell of Garthland
Scotland
1797–1799
George Oswald of Auchencruive
Scotland
1799–1801
Lord Succoth
Scotland
Lord Justice General
19th Century University of Glasgow Rectors
Years
Name
Nationality
Biography
1799–1801
Lord Succoth
Scotland
Lord Justice General
1801–1803
Lord Craig
Scotland
1803–1805
Robert Dundas of Arniston
Scotland
Lord Advocate , Chief Baron of Exchequer
1805–1807
Henry Glassford of Dugalston
Scotland
1807–1809
Archibald Colquhoun of Killermont
Scotland
Lord Advocate
1809–1811
Archibald Campbell of Blythswood
Scotland
1811–1813
Lord Archibald Hamilton
Scotland
parliamentarian
1813–1815
General Thomas Graham
Scotland
The 1st Baron Lynedoch, General (United Kingdom)
1815–1817
Lord Boyle
Scotland
Lord Justice Clerk
1817–1819
George Boyle
Scotland
The 4th Earl of Glasgow
1819–1820
Kirkman Finlay
Scotland
Lord Provost of Glasgow
1820–1822
Francis Jeffrey
Scotland
Senator of the College of Justice , former student
1822–1824
Sir James Mackintosh
Scotland
Jurist
1824–1826
Henry Brougham
Scotland
Lord Chancellor 1830–1834
1826–1829
Thomas Campbell
Scotland
Poet, former student
1829–1831
The 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne
England
Chancellor of the Exchequer
1831–1834
Henry Thomas Cockburn
Scotland
Senator of the College of Justice
1834–1836
Lord Stanley
England
a later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1836–1838
Sir Robert Peel
England
2nd Bt. , the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1838–1840
Sir James Graham
Scotland
2nd Bt. , Home Secretary
1840–1842
The 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane
Scotland
parliamentarian, former Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
1842–1844
Fox Maule
Scotland
parliamentarian and a later Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
1844–1846
Andrew Rutherfurd
Scotland
Lord Advocate
1846–1847
Lord John Russell
Scotland
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1847–1848
William Mure of Caldwell
England
classical scholar, parliamentarian
1848–1850
Thomas Babington Macaulay
England
Parliamentarian
1850–1852
Sir Archibald Alison , 1st Bt.
Scotland
Institutional legal writer
1852–1854
The 13th Earl of Eglinton
Scotland
a former (and a later) Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
1854–1856
The 8th Duke of Argyll
Scotland
parliamentarian
1856–1859
Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton
England
writer and politician
1859–1862
The 8th Earl of Elgin
Scotland
Viceroy of India 1862–1863
1862–1865
The 3rd Viscount Palmerston
England
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1865–1868
Lord Glencorse
Scotland
Lord President of the Court of Session
1868–1871
The 15th Earl of Derby
England
a former (and a later) Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
1871–1877
Benjamin Disraeli (1st Earl of Beaconsfield from 1876)
England
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1877–1880
William Ewart Gladstone
England
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1880–1883
John Bright
England
Quaker , activist
1883–1884
Henry Fawcett
England
economist and parliamentarian
1884–1887
Edmund Law Lushington
England
Professor of Greek
1887–1890
The 1st Earl of Lytton
England
former Viceroy of India
1890–1893
A.J. Balfour
Scotland
former Chief Secretary for Ireland and a later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1893–1896
Sir John Eldon Gorst
England
Solicitor-General for England and Wales
1896–1899
Joseph Chamberlain
England
statesman, father of Sir Austen Chamberlain (Rector 1925–1928)
1899–1902
The 5th Earl of Rosebery
Scotland
former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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