Public Orator

File:William Crowe Dighton.jpg

William Crowe (1745–1829), Public Orator at the University of Oxford.

The Public Orator is a traditional official post at universities, especially in the United Kingdom. The person in this position acts as the voice of the university during public occasions.

The position at Oxford University dates from 1564. The Public Orator at the University presents honorary degrees, giving an oration for each person that is honoured. They may be required to compose addresses and letters as directed by the Hebdomadal Council of the University. Speeches when members of the royal family are present may also be required. The post was instituted for a visit to Oxford by Queen Elizabeth I in 1566. The Public Orator, Thomas Kingsmill, gave a very long historical speech. Sir Isaac Wake addressed King James I similarly in 1605.

At the University of Cambridge, the title for the position changed from "Public Orator" to "Orator" in 1926. Trinity College Dublin in Ireland also has a Public Orator. There is no equivalent position in American universities.

List of Public Orators

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England

Oxford University

See also Category:Public Orators of the University of Oxford.

• Edmund Campion
• William Crowe
• William Strode (lived 1602-1644)
• Thomas Kingsmill
• Isaac Wake
• Colin Hardie (1967 to 1973)
• Jasper Griffin (1992 to 2004)
• Richard Jenkyns (2004 to 2016)
• Jonathan Katz (2016—)

Cambridge University

See also Category:Cambridge University Orators.

• William Lewin, 1570
• George Herbert, (1620 to 1627)
• W. K. C. Guthrie, (1939 to 1947)

Liverpool University

• John Pinsent, (1983 to 1987)

Durham University

• Sir Ian Richmond, (1949 to 1951)

Ireland

Trinity College, Dublin

• Sir Robert Tate, (1914 to 1952)
• John V. Luce, (1972 to 2005)

See also

• Public speaking