List of trustees of the British Museum

The Board of Trustees of the British Museum comprises up to 25 members. One Trustee is appointed by The Crown, 15 are appointed by the Prime Minister and five appointed by the Trustees. Four Trustees are appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the nominations of the Presidents of: the Royal Academy, the British Academy, the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Royal Society.^[1]

Current trustees

The following is a list of current trustees, as of March 2014.^[1] Trustees are usually appointed for an initial term of four years. Appointments can be renewed with the Prime Minister’s approval, but trustees can only serve for a maximum of 10 years.^[2]

• Karen Armstrong (appointed 2008)^[3]
• Christopher Bayly (appointed 2008)^[4]
• Nigel Boardman (appointed 2013)^[5]
• Cheryl Carolus
• Patricia Cumper (appointed 2013)^[6]
• Niall FitzGerald (appointed 2006; Chair 2006 to July 2014)^[7]
• Liz Forgan (appointed 2008)^[8]
• Clive Gamble (appointed 2010)^[9]
• Antony Gormley (appointed 2007)^[10]
• Penny Hughes (appointed 2007)^[11]
• George Iacobescu (appointed 2007)^[12]
• Wasfi Kani (appointed 2013)^[6]
• Richard Lambert (2003-2011; reappointed 2014, Chair from July 2014)^[1][13]
• James Lupton (appointed 2012)^[14]
• Deryck Maughan (appointed 2013)^[6]
• John Micklethwait (appointed 2011)^[15]
• Paul Nurse (appointed 2012)^[16]
• Gavin Patterson (appointed 2012)^[14]
• Lord Sassoon (appointed 2013)^[6]
• Amartya Sen (appointed 2010)^[17]
• Martin Sorrell (appointed 2011)^[18]
• Ahdaf Soueif (appointed 2012)^[14]
• Lord Stern of Brentford (appointed 2008)^[19]
• Lord Turner of Ecchinswell
• Baroness Wheatcroft (appointed 2010)^[20]

Former trustees

The British Museum Act 1753 established a 42 strong Board of Trustees, which included two representatives each of the Sloane, Cotton, and Harley families, elected representatives and the following ex-officio: Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Chancellor, Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord President of the Council, First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Privy Seal, Lord High Admiral, Lord Steward, Lord Chamberlain, the three Principal Secretaries of State, Bishop of London, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Chief Justice King's Bench, Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice Common Pleas, Attorney General, and Solicitor General.^[21]

This rose to 50 by the mid-1800s, including the addition of a trustee appointed by the Crown (British Museum Act 1832) and one representative each from the Towneley, Elgin, and Knight families.^[22]

The British Museum Act 1963 reduced the number of trustees to the current 25 and set the time-limit on appointments.

Former trustees from 1963 onwards

• Emeka Anyaoku
• John Addis
• Noel Annan, Baron Annan
• Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford
• Lord Broers of Cambridge
• T. S. R. Boase
• John Boyd
• Barry Cunliffe (2000–2005)^[23]
• Edward Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth
• Alec Broers, Baron Broers
• Ronald Cohen
• Francis Finlay
• Val Gooding
• Stephen Green
• Bonnie Greer
• James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford
• Edward Thomas Hall
• William Hayter (diplomat)
• Penny Hughes
• Olga Kennard
• John Kendrew
• Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws
• Peter Lasko
• Austen Henry Layard
• Richard Lambert
• Edmée P Leventis^[24]
• David Norgrove
• Amartya Sen
• Vikram Seth
• Lord Powell of Bayswater
• Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl Stanhope
• Sir Richard Thompson, 1st Baronet
• George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend
• Arnold Weinstock (1985–1996)
• G. M. Young

Notable former trustees 1753-1963

Given the large number of ex-officio and family representatives, this list will only include those trustees who are notable for their work with regard to the British Museum.

• Joseph Banks(1788-1820) ex-officio as President of the Royal Society^[25]

References

1. "Trustees". British Museum. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
2. "Appointments". British Museum. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
3. "Trustee K Armstrong". British Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
4. "Trustee C Bayly". British Museum. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
5. "Boardman appointment" (PDF). Retrieved 18 March 2014.
6. "Government appointments 2013". Retrieved 8 March 2014.
7. "Trustee N Fitzgerald". Retrieved 8 March 2014.
8. "Trustee - L Forgan". British Museum. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
9. "Trustee C Gamble". Retrieved 8 March 2014.
10. "Trustee A Gormley". British Museum. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
11. "Trustee - P Hughes". British Museum. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
12. "Trustee - G Iacobescu". British Museum. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
13. "Trustee R Lambert". Retrieved 8 March 2014.
14. "Government appointments 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 8 March 2014.
15. "Mickelthwait appointment". Retrieved 18 March 2014.
16. "Trustee - P Nurse". British Museum. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
17. "Trustee - A Sen". British Museum. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
18. "Trustee - M Sorrell". British Museum. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
19. "Trustee - M Sorrell". British Museum. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
20. "Wheatcroft appointment". Retrieved 18 March 2014.
21. The British Museum chapter 2
22. Walford, E 1878 Old and New London vol.4 chapter 38
23. "UK Government; Professor Barry Cunliffe appointed Trustee of the British Museum". Presswire. 30 November 2000. Professor Barry Cunliffe has been appointed Trustee of the British Museum. His appointment took effect from 4 October 2000 and runs for a period of five years, Culture Secretary Chris Smith announced.
24. A founder of Hellenic Centre in London, wife of Constantine Leventis, Ambassador of Cyprus to Unesco and chairman of the A.G. Leventis foundation which funded the A.G. Leventis Gallery. See "Constantine Leventis". The Independent. 19 August 2002.
25. Chambers, N. 2007 Joseph Banks and the British Museum