There are two Merton Professorships of English in the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

: the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature, and the Merton Professor of English Literature. The second was created in 1914 when Sir Walter Raleigh's chair was renamed. At the present day both professorships are associated with

Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor ...

, but Dame Helen Gardner held her post in association with

Lady Margaret Hall Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, located on a bank of the River Cherwell at Norham Gardens in north Oxford and adjacent to the University Parks. The college is more formally known under ...

. The occupants of the chairs have been: Merton Professor of English Language and Literature *1885–1916: Arthur S. Napier *1916–1920: ''vacant'' *1920–1945: H. C. K. Wyld *1945–1959:

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

*1959–1980: Norman Davis *1980–1984: ''vacant'' *1984–2014: Suzanne Romaine *2018 onwards:

Helen Small Helen Wenda Small (born 23 October 1964) is the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford and a fellow of Merton College, Oxford. She was previously a fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford. Early life Small was ...

Merton Professor of English Literature *1904–1922:

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...

*1922–1928: George Stuart Gordon *1929–1946: David Nichol Smith *1947–1957: F. P. Wilson *1957–1966:

Nevill Coghill Nevill Henry Kendal Aylmer Coghill (19 April 1899 – 6 November 1980) was an Anglo-Irish literary scholar, known especially for his modern-English version of Geoffrey Chaucer's ''Canterbury Tales''. He was an associate of the literary discuss ...

*1966–1975: Helen Gardner *1975–2002: John Carey *2002–2014: David Norbrook *2016–present:

Lorna Hutson Lorna Margaret Hutson, FBA (born 27 November 1958) is the ninth Merton Professor of English Literature and a fellow of Merton College, Oxford. Together with Professor John Hudson, she is a director of the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern ...

References

{{Reflist

Sources

*''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. *''The Times''. Professorships at the University of Oxford Lists of people associated with the University of Oxford Merton College, Oxford