The head of Brasenose College, University of Oxford, is the principal. The current principal is John Bowers, who took up the appointment in October 2015.
List of principals of Brasenose College
Name From To Notes Matthew Smyth 1512 1548 First principal; died in office John Hawarden 1548 1565 Thomas Blanchard 1565 1574 Richard Harris 1574 1595 Alexander Nowell 1595 1595Thomas Singleton15951614 Died in officeSamuel Radcliffe16141648 Ejected by Parliamentary visitors 20 January 1648, but remained at Brasenose; died 26 June 1648 Daniel Greenwood 1648 1660 Parliamentary appointee, 29 February 1648 Thomas Yate 1660 1681 Elected 13 July 1648, in opposition to Greenwood; restored 10 August 1660; died in office John Meare 1681 1710 Died in office Robert Shippen 1710 1745 Died in office Francis Yarborough 1745 1770 Died in office William Gwyn 1770 1770 Died in office, four months after election Ralph Cawley 1770 1777 Died in office Thomas Barker 1777 1785 Died in office William Cleaver 1785 1809 Frodsham Hodson 1809 1822 Died in office Ashurst Gilbert 1822 1842 Richard Harington 1842 1853 Died in office Edward Hartopp Cradock 1853 1886 Died in office Albert Watson 1886 1889 Charles Buller Heberden 1889 1920 Charles Henry Sampson 1920 1936 Died in office William Stallybrass 1936 1948 Died in office Hugh Last 1948 1956 Maurice Platnauer 1956 1960 Noel Frederick Hall 1960 1973 Herbert Hart 1973 1978 Barry Nicholas 1978 1989 David Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham 1989 2002 Roger Cashmore 2002 2011 Alan Bowman 2011 2015 John Bowers 2015 2026 Alyson King 2026 (elect) First woman to hold the role
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