Past Presidents & Chairs
From 1888 to 1967 the President was elected from members of the Council. A change in the Rules at the AGM 1967 stated instead that a Chairman would be elected from members of the Council and the Society may invite a President (on nomination of the Council) from within or without the membership.
Previous Presidents
- 1888-1890 Walter Crane
- 1891-1896 William Morris
- 1896-1915 Walter Crane
- 1915-1922 Henry Wilson
- 1923-1927 William R. Lethaby
- 1927-1929 Emery Walker
- 1929-1932 C.H. St John Hornby
- 1932-1936 Edward Johnston
- 1936-1939 Henry George Murphy
- 1940-1942 Reco Capey
- 1943-1949 John Farleigh
- 1949-1953 Dora Billington
- 1953-1958 Eleanor Whittall
- 1958-1959 Heber Matthews
- 1959-1967 Reginald H. Marlow
- 1975-1986 Lord Paul Reilly
- 1985-1997 Lord Frederick Dainton
- 1998-present Sir Christopher Frayling
Previous Chairs
- 1967-1970 Audrey Blackman
- 1970-1972 Michael Gough
- 1972-1975 Richard Grasby
- 1975-1976 Sidney Bendall
- 1976-1979 Jeanne Werge-Hartley
- 1979-1981 Hugh Spendlove
- 1981-1984 Kenneth Clark
- 1984-1987 Michael Fell
- 1987-1990 Diana Springall
- 1990-1997 Heidi Lichterman
- 1997-2000 John Weiss
- 2001-2004 Stephen Maer
- 2004-2006 Peter Moss
- 2006-2010 Carol Naylor
- 2010-2011 Fiona Zobole
- 2011-2020 Christine Dove
- 2020-2021 Kayley Holderness
- 2021-present Kate Mason