The President of the Royal Society (PRS) is the elected head of the Royal Society of London. The position is now awarded to a member of the scientific community of the British Commonwealth for a period of five years, and is one of the highest honours that can be bestowed upon a scientist. The current President is the zoologist Lord May of Oxford, the vice-president is Sir Patrick Bateson.

Presidents of the Royal Society

1. 1662-1677 The Viscount Brouncker
2. 1677-1680 Sir Joseph Williamson
3. 1680-1682 Sir Christopher Wren
4. 1682-1683 John Hoskins
5. 1683-1684 Cyril Wyche
6. 1684-1686 Samuel Pepys
7. 1686-1689 The Earl of Carbery
8. 1689-1690 The Earl of Pembroke
9. 1690-1695 Robert Southwell
10. 1695-1698 The Earl of Halifax
11. 1698-1703 The Lord Somers
12. 1703-1727 Sir Isaac Newton
13. 1727-1741 Sir Hans Sloane
14. 1741-1752 Martin Folkes
15. 1752-1764 The Earl of Macclesfield
16. 1764-1768 The Earl of Morton
17. 1768-1768 James Burrow
18. 1768-1772 James West
19. 1772-1778 Sir John Pringle
20. 1778-1820 Sir Joseph Banks
21. 1820-1820 William Hyde Wollaston
22. 1820-1827 Sir Humphry Davy
23. 1827-1830 Davies Gilbert
24. 1830-1838 HRH The Duke of Sussex
25. 1838-1848 The Marquess of Northampton
26. 1848-1854 The Earl of Rosse
27. 1854-1858 The Lord Wrottesley
28. 1858-1861 Benjamin Collins Brodie
29. 1861-1871 Sir Edward Sabine
30. 1871-1873 Sir George Biddell Airy
31. 1873-1878 Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
32. 1878-1883 William Spottiswoode
33. 1883-1885 Thomas Henry Huxley
34. 1885-1890 Sir George Gabriel Stokes
35. 1890-1895 The Lord Kelvin
36. 1895-1900 The Lord Lister
37. 1900-1905 William Huggins
38. 1905-1908 The Lord Rayleigh
39. 1908-1913 Sir Archibald Geikie
40. 1913-1915 Sir William Crookes
41. 1915-1920 Sir Joseph John Thomson
42. 1920-1925 Sir Charles Sherrington
43. 1925-1930 The Lord Rutherford of Nelson
44. 1930-1935 Sir Frederick Hopkins
45. 1935-1940 Sir William Henry Bragg
46. 1940-1945 Sir Henry Hallett Dale
47. 1945-1950 Robert Robinson
48. 1950-1955 Edgar Douglas Adrian
49. 1955-1960 Cyril Norman Hinshelwood
50. 1960-1965 Howard Florey
51. 1965-1970 The Lord Blackett
52. 1970-1975 Sir Alan Hodgkin
53. 1975-1980 The Lord Todd
54. 1980-1985 Sir Andrew Huxley
55. 1985-1990 Sir George Porter
56. 1990-1995 Sir Michael Atiyah
57. 1995-2000 Sir Aaron Klug
58. 2000- The Lord May of Oxford

Sir Martin John Rees has recently been nominated to take over when The Lord May of Oxford completes his term in November 2005.

External links

• Presidents of the Royal Society