The (Lord) Rector of the University of Glasgow is one of the most senior posts within the 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 latest rectorial election was concluded on 26 March 2024, and featured four candidates: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, Susan McCabe, Paul Sweeney MSP, and Lady Rita Rae, who was seeking re-election. Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who received over 80% of the votes, was consequently installed as rector on the 11th of April 2024.

Former rectors 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 (2014–2017) was 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. The post was left vacant for a second time at the end of Aamer Anwar's term in March 2020, with the scheduled Rectorial election postponed until March 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous rector was Lady Rita Rae, who was the first woman to hold the position in a standing capacity in the University's history. However, during her term she faced heavy criticism from the student body due to her alleged absenteeism, which she denied.

Nations 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.Historical perspective for Glasgow

List of rectors

+17th-century University of Glasgow rectors Years Name Nationality Biography 1643–1644 Archibald Fleming 1st Baronet of Ferme Commissary and Burgess 1648–1650 Robert Ramsay Clergyman 1669–1678 William Fleming 2nd Baronet of Ferme Commissary and Burgess 1690–1691 David Boyle Lord Clerk Register 1691–1718 Sir John Maxwell of Nether Park Commissioner for Renfrewshire in the Scottish Parliament

+18th-century University of Glasgow rectors Years Name Nationality Biography 1691–1718 Sir John Maxwell of Nether Park Commissioner for Renfrewshire in the Scottish Parliament 1718–1720 Mungo Graham of Gorthie Commr. justiciary for Highlands 1720–1723 Robert Dundas, of Arniston, the elder Lord President of the Court of Session 1723–1725 James Hamilton of Aikenhead 1725–1726 Sir Hugh Montgomerie of Hartfield 1726–1729 George Ross Master of Ross, 13th Lord Ross1729–1731 Francis Dunlop of Dunlop 1731–1733 John Orr of Barrowfield 1733–1738 Colin Campbell of Blythswood 1738–1740 George Bogle of Daldowie, Glasgow Tobacco Lord1740–1742 John Graham of Dugalston 1742–1743 John Orr of Barrowfield 1743–1746 George Bogle of Daldowie 1746–1748 Sir John Maxwell of Pollock 1748–1750 George Bogle of Daldowie 1750–1753 Sir John Maxwell of Pollock 1753–1755 William Mure of Caldwell 1755–1757 John Boyle The 3rd Earl of Glasgow1757–1759 Patrick Boyle, Lord Shewalton 1759–1761 James Milliken of Milliken 1761–1763 The 15th Earl of Erroll Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland1763–1764 Thomas Miller Lord Glenlee, Lord Advocate1764–1767 William Mure of Caldwell 1767–1768 Dunbar Douglas The 4th Earl of Selkirk1768–1770 Sir Adam Ferguson of Kilkerran 1770–1772 Robert Ord 1772–1773 Lord Frederick Campbell Parliamentarian, Lord Clerk Register1773–1775 Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart, General (British Army), Ambassador to Russia1775–1777 Sir James William Montgomery Lord Advocate, Chief Baron of Exchequer1777–1779 Andrew Stewart of Torrance 1779–1781 The 7th Earl of Lauderdale Scottish representative peer1781–1783 Henry Dundas Lord Advocate1783–1785 Edmund Burke Philosopher1785–1787 Robert Graham of Gartmore Parliamentarian, former student1787–1789 Prof. Adam Smith Professor of Moral Philosophy, author of The Wealth of Nations, former student1789–1791 Walter Campbell of Shawfield 1791–1793 Thomas Kennedy of Dunure 1793–1795 William Mure of Caldwell 1795–1797 William McDowell of Garthland 1797–1799 George Oswald of Auchencruive 1799–1801 Lord Succoth Lord Justice General

+19th-century University of Glasgow rectors Years Name Nationality Biography 1799–1801 Lord Succoth Lord Justice General1801–1803 Lord Craig 1803–1805 Robert Dundas of Arniston Lord Advocate, Chief Baron of Exchequer1805–1807 Henry Glassford of Dugalston 1807–1809 Archibald Colquhoun of Killermont Lord Advocate1809–1811 Archibald Campbell of Blythswood 1811–1813 Lord Archibald Hamilton parliamentarian1813–1815 General The 1st Baron Lynedoch Previously styled, up until May 1814, as General Sir Thomas Graham1815–1817 Lord Boyle Lord Justice Clerk1817–1819 The 4th Earl of Glasgow Prominent Scottish peer1819–1820 Kirkman Finlay Lord Provost of Glasgow1820–1822 Francis Jeffrey Senator of the College of Justice, former student1822–1824 Sir James Mackintosh Jurist1824–1826 Henry Brougham Lord Chancellor 1830–18341826–1829 Thomas Campbell Poet, former student1829–1831 The 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne Chancellor of the Exchequer1831–1834 Henry Thomas Cockburn Senator of the College of Justice1834–1836 Lord Stanley a later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1836–1838 Sir Robert Peel 2nd Bt., the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1838–1840 Sir James Graham 2nd Bt., Home Secretary1840–1842 The 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane parliamentarian, former Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland1842–1844 Fox Maule parliamentarian and a later Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland1844–1846 Andrew Rutherfurd Lord Advocate1846–1847 Lord John Russell Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1847–1848 William Mure of Caldwell classical scholar, parliamentarian1848–1850 Thomas Babington Macaulay Parliamentarian1850–1852 Sir Archibald Alison, 1st Bt. Institutional legal writer1852–1854 The 13th Earl of Eglinton a former (and a later) Lord Lieutenant of Ireland1854–1856 The 8th Duke of Argyll parliamentarian1856–1859 Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton writer and politician1859–1862 The 8th Earl of Elgin Viceroy of India 1862–18631862–1865 The 3rd Viscount Palmerston Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1865–1868 Lord Glencorse Lord President of the Court of Session1868–1871 The 15th Earl of Derby a former (and a later) Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs1871–1877 Benjamin Disraeli (1st Earl of Beaconsfield from 1876) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1877–1880 William Ewart Gladstone Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1880–1883 John Bright Quaker, activist1883–1884 Henry Fawcett economist and parliamentarian1884–1887 Edmund Law Lushington Professor of Greek1887–1890 The 1st Earl of Lytton former Viceroy of India1890–1893 A.J. Balfour former Chief Secretary for Ireland and a later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1893–1896 Sir John Eldon Gorst Solicitor General for England and Wales1896–1899 Joseph Chamberlain statesman, father of Sir Austen Chamberlain (Rector 1925–1928)1899–1902 The 5th Earl of Rosebery former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

+20th-century University of Glasgow rectors 1899–1902 The 5th Earl of Rosebery former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1902–1905 George Wyndham Chief Secretary for Ireland1905–1908 H.H. Asquith Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1908–1911 The 1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston former Viceroy of India, Foreign Secretary1911–1914 Augustine Birrell Chief Secretary for Ireland and poet1914–1919 Raymond Poincaré President of the French Republic and a former (and later) Prime Minister of France1919–1922 Bonar Law Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, former student1922–1925 The 1st Earl of Birkenhead Lord Chancellor1925–1928 Sir Austen Chamberlain parliamentarian and statesman1928–1931 Stanley Baldwin Prime Minister of the United Kingdom1931–1934 Compton Mackenzie novelist1934–1937 Sir Iain Colquhoun 7th Bt.1937–1938 Dick Sheppard pacifist1938–1945 Sir Archibald Sinclair 4th Bt., Leader of the British Liberal Party1945–1947 Sir John Boyd-Orr physician, nutritionist and Nobel laureate (former student)1947–1950 Walter Elliot politician (former student)1950–1953 John MacCormick lawyer and famed nationalist (former student)1953–1956 Tom Honeyman physician, director of Kelvingrove Art Gallery (former student)1956–1959 Rab Butler became Home Secretary while rector and a former Chancellor of the Exchequer (and a later Foreign Secretary)1959–1962 Quintin Hogg The 2nd Viscount Hailsham, Lord President of the Council (and a later Lord Chancellor)1962–1965 Albert Lutuli President of the African National Congress and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (Absentee)1965–1968 The 1st Baron Reith formerly the first Director-General of the BBC1968–1971 George MacLeod The Baron MacLeod of Fuinary; Founder of the radical Christian organisation, the Iona Community; Past Moderator of the Church of Scotland1971–1974 Jimmy Reid Trade union activist, his inaugural speech on social alienation was famous for its reference to the rat race1974–1977 Arthur Montford sports journalist1977–1980 John L. Bell Elected while a student at the university1980–1984 Reginald Bosanquet TV newsreader1984–1987 Michael Kelly Lord Provost of Glasgow1987–1990 Winnie Madikizela-Mandela South African activist and politician 1990–1993 Pat Kane musician, alumnus.1993–1996 Johnny Ball TV presenter1996–1999 Richard Wilson actor1999–2000 Ross Kemp actor

+21st-century University of Glasgow rectors2001–2004 Greg Hemphill actor and alumnus2004–2005 Position vacant 2005–2008 Mordechai Vanunu Israeli nuclear technician and whistle-blower (Absentee)2008–2014 Charles Kennedy former Leader of the Liberal Democrats and alumnus.2014–2017 Edward SnowdenEdward Snowden elected as rector of Glasgow University computer professional/intelligence whistleblower (Absentee)2017–2020 Aamer Anwar Lawyer, human rights campaigner and alumnus2019–2020 Position vacant The 2020 election was postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic2021–2024 Rita Rae, Lady Rae Former Senator of the College of Justice2024-presentDr Ghassan Abu-SittahWar surgeon who operated in Gaza during the Gaza war

See also Ancient university governance in Scotland Chancellor of the University of Glasgow Principal of the University of Glasgow

References

External links Student Representative Council description of post (includes link to detailed charter) Who, where and when: the History and Constitution of the University of Glasgow University of Glasgow Story