The Classical Association (CA) is an educational organisation which aims to promote and widen access to the study of classical subjects in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Founded in 1903, the Classical Association supports and advances classical learning in schools, colleges, universities and local areas, and it has a wide membership. The Classical Association is a member of the Council for Subject Associations and is a registered charity.

Foundation

The Association was founded on 19 December 1903 at a public meeting held at University College London, and its objects are defined in its constitution as: # The advancement of education by the promotion, development and maintenance of classical studies # To increase public awareness of the contribution and importance of classics to education and public life. It was founded with the name "The Classical Association of England and Wales" but the name was soon changed to "The Classical Association". The incumbent Chair of the Classical Association Council is Professor Judith Mossman.

Activities

The Association is a major provider of grants to classical projects in the UK. It provides financial support for outreach and engagement projects, which seek to increase access to classics, widen participation and pursue equality, diversity and inclusion objectives in UK classics. It awarded more than £2 million of grants between 2003 and 2023. The Classical Association sponsors an annual Conference, which is hosted each year by a different UK university and brings together everybody from career classicists to teachers, independent researchers, students of all ages and anybody interested in the ancient world, to share research, exchange knowledge and professional practice and celebrate the work of the classics community. The Classical Association Teaching Board (CATB), made up of teachers, examiners, subject representatives, academics, curriculum providers and practitioners, was established in 2015 to support teachers of classical subjects and ancient history at all levels. The Classical Association provides professional development, resources, grants and support networks to teachers and students, as well as organising several annual competitions and running its own podcast, ''The Classics Podcast.'' Across England and Wales, the Classical Association has more than 25 affiliated local branches, which organise a variety of classical activities and have their own presidents, membership and communities. The Association awards its prestigious annual CA Prize to the person, group, or project whose work is felt to have raised the profile of Classics in the public eye, thereby recognising outstanding contributions to the promotion of Classics in the UK. Former winners include

Tom Holland (author) Thomas Holland (born 5 January 1968) is an English author and popular historian who has published best-selling books on topics including classical and medieval history, and the origins of Islam. He has worked with the BBC to create and host ...

, Caroline Lawrence, Cora Beth Frasier,

Mary Beard (classicist) Dame Winifred Mary Beard (born 1 January 1955) is an English classicist specialising in Ancient Rome. She is a trustee of the British Museum and formerly held a personal professorship of classics at the University of Cambridge. She is a fellow ...

, Mai Musié,

Natalie Haynes Natalie Louise Haynes (born 1974) is an English writer, broadcaster, Classics, classicist, and comedian. Early life Haynes was born in Birmingham, where she attended the private King Edward VI High School for Girls. She grew up in Bournville. ...

Rupert Goold Rupert Goold (born 18 February 1972) is an English director who works primarily in theatre. He is the artistic director of the Almeida Theatre, and was the artistic director of Headlong Theatre Company (2005–2013). Since 2010, Goold has be ...

Gregory Doran Sir Gregory Doran (born 24 November 1958) is an English director known for his Shakespearean work. ''The Sunday Times'' called him 'one of the great Shakespearians of his generation'. Doran was artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company ...

and Michael Scott.

Publications

The Association publishes three journals: ''The Classical Review'', ''The Classical Quarterly'' and ''Greece & Rome'', and, following its merger with the

Joint Association of Classical Teachers The Joint Association of Classical Teachers (JACT) was a UK organisation for the encouragement of the teaching of Classics in schools and universities. It was merged into the Classical Association with effect from 2 January 2015. The JACT Summer S ...

in 2015, the CA took over publication of JACT's journals, the ''Journal of Classics Teaching'' (online only) and ''Omnibus''. The CA also commissions titles in the ''New Surveys in the Classics'' series (published by Cambridge University Press). The Association celebrated its centenary in 2003 by publishing a book, ''The Classical Association: the First Century 1903–2003'', edited by Dr Christopher Stray; this includes a history of the association and studies of various aspects of its activities over its first century, including an account of the Classical Association of Scotland.

List of Honorary Presidents

*Sir Richard Henn Collins (1903– ) * Lord Halsbury (1905-6) *

Lord Curzon George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), known as Lord Curzon (), was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, explorer and writer who served as Viceroy of India ...

(1906–7) * S. H. Butcher (1907-8) *

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928) was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. He was the last ...

(1908–9) *

Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer, (; 26 February 1841 – 29 January 1917) was a British statesman, diplomat and colonial administrator. He served as the British controller-general in Egypt during 1879, part of the international control whic ...

(1909–10) *Sir

Archibald Geikie Sir Archibald Geikie (28 December 1835 – November 1924) was a Scottish geologist and writer. Early life Geikie was born in Edinburgh in 1835, the eldest son of Isabella Thom and her husband James Stuart Geikie, a musician and music critic. ...

(1910–11) *

Edward Hicks Edward Hicks (April 4, 1780 – August 23, 1849) was an American folk painter and distinguished Christian minister of the Society of Friends (a.k.a. "Quakers"). He became a notable Quaker because of his paintings. Biography Early li ...

(1911–12) *Henry Montague Butler (1912–13) * Frederic Kenyon (1913–14) *Sir William Ridgeway (1914–15) *Sir William Richmond (1915–16) * James Bryce, Viscount Bryce (1916–17) *

Gilbert Murray George Gilbert Aimé Murray (2 January 1866 – 20 May 1957) was an Australian-born British classical scholar and public intellectual, with connections in many spheres. He was an outstanding scholar of the language and culture of Ancient Greec ...

(1917–18) *Henry Fisher (1918–19) *Sir

William Osler Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet, (; July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919) was a Canadian physician and one of the "Big Four" founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Osler created the first Residency (medicine), residency program for speci ...

(1919– ) *

Walter Leaf Sir Walter Leaf (26 November 1852, Upper Norwood – 8 March 1927, Torquay) was an English banker, classical scholar, and psychical researcher. He published a benchmark edition of Homer's Iliad and was a director of Westminster Bank for many ...

(1921– ) * Alfred, 1st Viscount Milner (1921–22) *

John William Mackail John William Mackail (26 August 1859 – 13 December 1945) was a Scottish academic of Oxford University and reformer of the British education system. He is most often remembered as a scholar of Virgil and as the official biographer of the so ...

(1923–4) *

Robert Crewe-Milnes Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe (12 January 185820 June 1945), known as The Honourable Robert Milnes from 1863 to 1885, The Lord Houghton from 1885 to 1895 and as The Earl of Crewe from 1895 to 1911, was a British Lib ...

, Marquess of Crewe (1923–24) * John Percival Postgate (1925–6) *

Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (3 August 186714 December 1947), was a British statesman and Conservative politician who was prominent in the political leadership of the United Kingdom between the world wars. He was prime ministe ...

(1925-26–) * Gordon, Viscount Hewart (1926–27) *

Robert Seymour Conway Robert Seymour Conway Fellow of the British Academy, FBA (20 September 1864 – 28 September 1933) was a British classical scholar and comparative philologist. Born in Stoke Newington, he was the elder brother of Katharine Glasier, Katharine St ...

(1927–28) *

D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson Sir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson CB FRS FRSE (2 May 1860 – 21 June 1948) was a Scottish biologist, mathematician and classics scholar. He was a pioneer of mathematical and theoretical biology, travelled on expeditions to the Bering Strait ...

(1928–29) * William Temple, Archbishop of York (1929–30) *

Albert Curtis Clark Albert Curtis Clark, (21 February 1859 – 5 February 1937) was an English classical scholar, who specialised in Latin literature, Cicero, and the New Testament. From 1913 to 1934, he was Corpus Christi Professor of Latin at the University of Ox ...

(1930–31) * William David Ross (1932) *Sir

George Macdonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He became a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow-writer Lewis Carrol ...

(1932– ) *

William Inge William Motter Inge (; May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973) was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broad ...

(1933–34) * Cyril Bailey (1934–35) *

Leo Amery Leopold Charles Maurice Stennett Amery (22 November 1873 – 16 September 1955), also known as L. S. Amery, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician and journalist. During his career, he was known for his interest in ...

(1935–36) * Terrot Reaveley Glover (1937–38) *Sir Stephen Gaselee (diplomat) (1940–1) *Sir Richard Livingstone (1941–2) *

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

(1942–3) *John Sheppard (1943– ) *

Maurice Bowra Sir Cecil Maurice Bowra, (; 8 April 1898 – 4 July 1971) was an English classical scholar, literary critic and academic, known for his wit. He was Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, from 1938 to 1970, and served as vice-chancellor of the Univer ...

(1945– ) *Sir Frank Adcock (1948–9) * Lord Soulbury (1949– ) *

Harold Nicolson Sir Harold George Nicolson (21 November 1886 – 1 May 1968) was a British politician, writer, broadcaster and gardener. His wife was Vita Sackville-West. Early life and education Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the youngest son of dipl ...

(1951–2) *William Calder (1952–3) * Lord Samuel (1953–4) *

(1954–5) *Dr G. M. Young (1955–6) *Sir Harold Iaris Bell (1956–7) * John Spedan Lewis (1957–8) * Dorothy Tarrant (1958–9) *Sir Cyril Hinshelwood (1959– ) * Lord Hailsham (1961–2) * William Beare (1962–3) *Professor

E. R. Dodds Eric Robertson Dodds (26 July 1893 – 8 April 1979) was an Irish classical scholar. He was Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Oxford from 1936 to 1960. Early life and education Dodds was born in Banbridge, County Down, the son of ...

(1963–4) *Sir

Basil Blackwell Sir Basil Henry Blackwell (29 May 18899 April 1984) was an English bookseller. Biography Blackwell was born in Oxford, England. He was the son of Benjamin Henry Blackwell (18491924), founder of Blackwell's bookshop in Oxford, which went on to beco ...

(1964–5) *Professor Sir Roger Mynors (1965–6) *

Dilys Powell Elizabeth Dilys Powell (20 July 1901 – 3 June 1995) was a British film critic and travel writer who contributed to ''The Sunday Times'' for more than 50 years. Powell was known for her receptiveness to cultural change in the cinema and coin ...

(1966–7) *Professor W. K. C. Guthrie (1967–8) * Montague Woodhouse (1968–9) *Professor F. W. Walbank (1969–70) *Sir John Hackett (1970–1) *Patrick Wilkinson (1971–2) * Lord Boyle of Handsworth (1972–3) *Professor

Moses Finley Sir Moses Israel Finley (born Finkelstein; 20 May 1912 – 23 June 1986) was an American-born British academic and classical scholar. His prosecution by the United States Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security during the 1950s resulted in hi ...

(1973–4) * Dom David Knowles (1974–5) *Professor

Kenneth Dover Sir Kenneth James Dover, (11 March 1920 – 7 March 2010) was a distinguished British classical scholar and academic. He was president of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1976 to 1986. In addition, he was president of the British Academy f ...

(1975–6) *Professor

David Daube David Daube (8 February 1909, in Freiburg, Germany – 24 February 1999, in Berkeley, California) was the twentieth century's preeminent scholar of ancient law. He combined a familiarity with many legal systems, particularly Roman law and biblic ...

(1976–7) *Dr

Michael Grant (author) Michael Grant (21 November 1914 – 4 October 2004) was an English classicist, Professor of Humanity at the University of Edinburgh, numismatist, and author of numerous books on ancient history. His 1956 translation of Tacitus's '' Annals of I ...

(1977–8) *Professor Brinley Rees (1978–9) * Lord Wolfenden (1979–80) *Professor R. D. Williams (1980–1) *Sir David Hunt (1981–2) *Professor E. J. Kenney (1982–3) *Professor Raymond Williams (1983–4) *Professor

Eric Handley Eric Walter Handley, (12 November 1926 – 17 January 2013) was a British classical scholar, noted for his work on the Greek new comic poet Menander. He was Director of the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London from 1967 to 1984 ...

(1984–5) *Sir Nicholas Goodison (1985–6) * Professor Norma Miller (1986–7) *Tony Harrison (1987–8) *Professor Patricia Easterling (1988–9) *Sir Jeremy Morse (1989–90) *Professor George Kerferd (1990–1) *Lord Robert Runcie (1991–2) *Professor

Fergus Millar Sir Fergus Graham Burtholme Millar, (; 5 July 1935 – 15 July 2019) was a British ancient historian and academic. He was Camden Professor of Ancient History at the University of Oxford between 1984 and 2002. He is among the most influentia ...

(1992–3) *Colin Haycraft (1993–4) *Professor David West (1994–5) *Anthony Cleaver (1995–6) * Carol Handley (1996–7) *

Lindsey Davis Lindsey Davis (born 1949) is an English historical novelist, best known as the author of the Falco series of historical crime stories set in ancient Rome and its empire. She is a recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger award. Life and career ...

, historical novelist (1997–8) *Professor

Oliver Taplin Oliver Taplin, FBA (born 2 August 1943) is a retired British academic and classicist. He was a fellow of Magdalen College and Professor of Classical Languages and Literature at the University of Oxford. He holds a DPhil from Oxford University. ...

(1998–9) * Emma Kirkby (1999–2000) *Professor Peter Wiseman (2000–1) * Philip Howard (2001–2) *Dr Peter Jones (classicist) (2002–3) *

Susan Greenfield, Baroness Greenfield Susan Adele Greenfield, Baroness Greenfield, (born 1 October 1950) is an English scientist, writer, broadcaster and member of the House of Lords (since 2001). Her research has focused on the treatment of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's dise ...

(2003–4) *Professor

Malcolm Schofield Malcolm Schofield, (born 19 April 1942) is a British classicist and academic, specialising in ancient philosophy. Career Having taught at Cornell University and the University of Oxford, he joined the University of Cambridge in 1972 as a lecture ...

(2006–7) * Robert Harris (2007–8) *Professor Richard Seaford (2008–9) *Dr Richard Stoneman (2009–10) *Professor Christopher Rowe (2010–11) *Sir Peter Stothard (2011–12) *Professor

Robin Osborne Robin Grimsey Osborne (born 11 March 1957) is an English historian of classical antiquity, who is particularly interested in Ancient Greece. Early life He grew up in Little Bromley, attending Little Bromley County Primary School and then Colc ...

(2012–13) *

Martha Kearney Martha Catherine Kearney (born 8 October 1957) is a British-Irish journalist and broadcaster. She was the main presenter of BBC Radio 4's lunchtime news programme '' The World at One'' for 11 years. In April 2018, Kearney joined the presenting ...

(2013–14) *Professor P. J. Rhodes (2014–15). *Professor Robert Crawford (2015–16) *Professor Robert Fowler (2016–17) *Dr

Rowan Williams Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth (born 14 June 1950) is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet, who served as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012. Previously the Bishop of Monmouth and Archbishop of W ...

(2017–18) *Dame Professor Mary Beard (2018–19) * Mari Williams (2020–1) *

Stephen Fry Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer. He came to prominence as a member of the comic act Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in ''A Bit of ...

(2021–2) * Professor M. M. McCabe (2022–3) * Professor

Anne Carson Anne Patricia Carson (born June 21, 1950) is a Canadian poet, essayist, translator, classicist, and professor. Trained at the University of Toronto, Carson has taught classics, comparative literature, and creative writing at universities across ...

(2023–4) * Professor Stephen Halliwell (2024-5)

List of Council Chairs

* Professor Douglas Cairns ( -2024) * Professor Judith Mossman (2024-present)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Classical associations and societies Education in Hertfordshire 1903 establishments in the United Kingdom Learned societies of the United Kingdom Organisations based in Hertfordshire Organizations established in 1903 Rickmansworth