Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge

Academics

Trevor Allan, legal philosopher David Armitage Bannerman, Ornithologist Christopher Clark, Regius Professor of History, University of Cambridge Maurice Dobb, Economist Simon Donaldson, Mathematician; Fields Medallist (1986) Ian Fleming, Organic chemist, emeritus professor of the University of Cambridge and emeritus fellow William Fowler, Nobel prize winner for Physics Tom Harrisson, Ornithologist, anthropologist, soldier, co-founder of Mass-Observation Samuel Harsnett, Master, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, later Archbishop of York and theological writer Bryan Keith-Lucas, Political scientist Leslie Peter Johnson, Germanist Sir Henry James Sumner Maine, Jurist and Historian D. H. Mellor, Philosopher Messenger Monsey, Physician Rodney Porter, Nobel prize winning biochemist Michael Rowan-Robinson, Astronomer and astrophysicist George Gabriel Stokes, Mathematician, physicist John Sulston, Chemist, Nobel prize winner William Turner, Physician Lawrence Wager, Geologist, explorer and mountaineer Leonard Whibley, Greek scholar Yorick Wilks, Computer scientist, professor of artificial intelligence George Crichton Wells, Dermatologist, first described Well's syndrome Timothy Winter, Academic, theologian and Islamic scholar

Artists and writers

Robert Bathurst, Actor Richard Beard, Novelist and non-fiction writer Richard Berengarten, Poet Peter Bradshaw, Author and film critic Tim Brooke-Taylor, Comedian, member of The Goodies Marcus Buckingham, author and motivational speaker Peter Cook, Comedian Ralph Cusack, Painter, stage designer, horticulturist and writer. Seamus Deane, Novelist, poet and literary critic Rick Edwards, Television presenter Thomas Gray, Poet Stephen Greenblatt, Literary critic, pioneer of New Historicism Bendor Grosvenor, Art historian Malcolm Guite, Poet and author (Sounding the Seasons, The Singing Bowl), priest, singer-songwriter, currently Bye-Fellow and Chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge Robert Hardman, Journalist and author Naomie Harris, Actress Tom Hiddleston, Actor Philip Hinchcliffe, Television producer Ted Hughes, Poet Eric Idle, Comedian, member of Monty Python Clive James, Critic, journalist and broadcaster Peter Jeffrey, Actor Humphrey Jennings, Film-maker Emma Johnson, Clarinettist Anna Lapwood, Organist, conductor and broadcaster Robert Macfarlane, Writer Tom Morris, Theatre director and producer David Munrow, Musician, composer, music historian Richard Murdoch, Actor, comedian Bill Oddie, Comedian, member of The Goodies, ornithologist Martin Rowson, Cartoonist Tom Sharpe, Novelist Indra Sinha, Novelist Christopher Smart, Poet, hymnist, journalist, actor Edmund Spenser, Poet Peter Taylor, Author and journalist Karan Thapar, Writer, journalist, broadcaster, editor Ed Yong, Science journalist and author

Clergy

Lancelot Andrewes, Master; Dean of Westminster; Bishop of Chichester, Ely, Winchester; leading member of the translation committee which produced the King James Bible C.F. Andrews, Priest and activist for the Indian independence movement William Burkitt, New Testament commentator, vicar and lecturer of Dedham, Essex Richard Crashaw, Anglican cleric and later Catholic convert, poet associated with Metaphysical poets and religious poetry, Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge William Crashaw, Appointed preacher at the Inner Temple, Anglican divine and poet, author of anti-Catholic tracts and pamphlets Timothy Dudley-Smith, Hymn writer and clergyman of the Church of England Edmund Grindal, Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop of York, Bishop of London Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, Martyr

Politicians and public servants

Tim Allan, Downing Street Director of Communications 2025–2026 Clive Betts, British politician Vicky Bowman, former British Ambassador Rab Butler, British politician; served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Jo Cox, British aid worker and politician Abba Eban, Statesman; President of the Weizmann Institute of Science Edward James Eliot, British politician William Eliot, 2nd Earl of St Germans, British politician Femi Fani-Kayode, Former Nigerian Minister of Culture and Tourism Roger W. Ferguson Jr., Economist, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, President and CEO of TIAA, Honorary Fellow Alexander Grantham, Governor of Fiji, later Governor of Hong Kong Rupert Gwynne, Member of Parliament (MP) for Eastbourne 1910–1924 Oliver Heald, British politician Atma Jayaram, Former Director of the Indian Intelligence Bureau Simon McDonald, Baron McDonald of Salford, Diplomat, Head of the British Diplomatic Service William Pitt the Younger, British politician; Prime Minister 1783–1801, 1804–06 George Maxwell Richards, President of Trinidad and Tobago Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury, British politician; current Master P. K. van der Byl, Rhodesian politician Roger Williams, Statesman, theologian, founder of Rhode Island

Sportspeople Archibald Fargus, Cricketer, scholar, clergyman Arthur Gilligan, England cricket captain David MacMyn, Rugby union international (Scotland and Lions) player and administrator Peter May, Cricketer Wavell Wakefield, 1st Baron Wakefield of Kendal, Rugby player and politician

Others Roger Bushell, Leader of "The Great Escape" Ray Dolby, Inventor who bequeathed US$52.6 million to Pembroke C. H. Douglas, Engineer; pioneer of the Social Credit movement Sir Allan Mossop, Chief Judge of the British Supreme Court for China Quintin Riley, Arctic explorer Hugh Ruttledge, Mountaineer Peter Taylor, Baron Taylor of Gosforth, Lord Chief Justice David White, Garter Principal King of Arms

References