The Rector of St. Andrews University is the elected representative of the students on the University Senate. They are elected every 3 years and can serve more than one term of office. Originally, the post was the head of the senate, but under the 1858 Universities (Scotland) Act, the post was altered to be a representative of the students. Anyone who is a current student, or holding an appointment at the University, or a Professor or Principal at another Scottish University cannot stand. Because candidates are invited to run for election by any student, many Rectors have been famous in other fields before taking up the position.
The 2002 Rector's Election was fought between Germaine Greer, Barry Joss, and Sir Clement Freud. Freud won the election.
The 2005 Rector's Election was fought between Martin Passmore, Simon Pepper and Gordon Ramsay. Pepper won the election.
Rectors since 1859
- 1859-1862 Sir Ralph Anstruther, Bt., of Balcaskie
- 1862-1865 William Stirling of Keir
- 1865-1868 John Stuart Mill
- 1868-1871 James Anthony Froude
- 1872-1874 Charles Neaves, Lord Neaves
- 1874-1877 Arthur Penryhn Stanley, Dean of Westminster
- 1877-1880 Roundell Palmer, Lord Selborne
- 1880-1883 Sir Theodore Martin
- 1884-1886 Donald James Mackay, 11th Lord Reay
- 1886-1889 Arthur James Balfour of Whittingehame
- 1889-1892 Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
- 1892-1898 John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute
- 1898-1901 James Stuart
- 1901-1907 Andrew Carnegie of Skibo
- 1907-1910 John Lubbock, 1st Lord Avebury
- 1910-1913 Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
- 1913-1916 John Campbell Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen
- 1916-1919 Sir Douglas Haig
- 1919-1922 Sir James Matthew Barrie
- 1922-1925 Rudyard Kipling
- 1925-1928 Fridtjof Nansen
- 1928-1931 Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell
- 1931-1934 Jan Christiaan Smuts
- 1934-1937 Guglielmo Marconi, Marchese Marconi
- 1937-1938 Robert MacGregor Mitchell, Lord MacGregor Mitchell
- 1938-1946 Sir David Munro
- 1946-1949 Sir George Cunningham
- 1949-1952 David George Brownlow Cecil, Lord Burghley
- 1952-1955 David Robert Alexander Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford
- 1955-1958 David Patrick Maxwell-Fyfe, 1st Viscount Kilmuir
- 1958-1961 Robert John Graham Boothby, Lord Boothby
- 1961-1964 Charles Percy Snow, Lord Snow
- 1964-1967 Sir John Knewstub Maurice Sothenstein
- 1967-1970 Sir Learie Constantine, Lord Constantine of Maraval and Nelson
- 1970-1973 John Cleese
- 1973-1976 Alan Coren
- 1976-1979 Frank Muir
- 1979-1982 Tim Brooke-Taylor
- 1982-1985 Katharine Whitehorn
- 1985-1988 Stanley Adams
- 1988-1991 Nicholas Parsons
- 1991-1993 Nicholas Campbell
- 1993-1996 Donald Findlay, QC
- 1996-1999 Donald Findlay, QC
- 1999-2002 Andrew Neil
- 2002-2005 Sir Clement Freud
- 2005-... Simon Pepper
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