The Rhodes Professorship of Imperial History was one of the senior

professorships Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a 'person who professes'. Professors ...

in history at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. Endowed by the

Rhodes Trust Rhodes House is a building part of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on South Parks Road in central Oxford, and was built in memory of Cecil Rhodes, an alumnus of the university and a major benefactor. It is listed Grade II* ...

in 1919, it was the second oldest academic chair in its subject in the world after the Beit Professorship of Colonial History at Oxford (founded in 1905). In January 2022, King's College London discontinued the Rhodes Professorship of Imperial History due to its associations with slavery and colonialism. The decision followed advocacy by Professor Richard Drayton, the chair's incumbent and a former Rhodes Scholar, who highlighted the university's historical financial ties to slavery. Specifically, he referenced Charles Pallmer, a plantation owner who donated significantly to King's College in the 19th century and profited from slave ownership in Jamaica. The chair is now named Professor of Imperial and Global History.

List of holders

* Arthur Percival Newton (1920–1938) * Vincent T. Harlow (1938–1949) * Gerald S. Graham (1949–1970) * Peter James Marshall (1980–1993) * Andrew Porter (1993–2008) *

Richard Drayton Richard Drayton FRHistS (born 1964) is a Guyana-born historian and Professor of Imperial and Global History (formerly known as Rhodes Professor of Imperial History) at King's College London. Biography Early years and education Richard Drayton ...

(2009–2022)

References

Imperial History, Rhodes Imperial History, Rhodes {{UK-hist-stub