Essex historian appointed next President of the Royal Historical Society

University of Essex historian Professor Lucy Noakes has been chosen as the 36th President of the Royal Historical Society.

Professor Noakes, an expert in 20th century experience of war and remembrance, will be the fourth woman to head up the Society, and only the second academic from outside Oxbridge and the Russell Group of universities.

Professor Noakes, who is Essex’s Rab Butler Professor of Modern History, will take up the Presidency in November 2024 when current President, Professor Emma Griffin from Queen Mary University of London, completes her term in office.

Founded in 1868, the Royal Historical Society is the UK’s foremost learned society for the support of history and historians. It has an international membership of more than 6,000 historians working in higher education, archives, museums, publishing and broadcasting, as well as independent researchers and community history groups.

As President, Professor Noakes will lead the Society’s work representing the historical profession and promoting the value of historical knowledge and understanding.

Speaking about the appointment, Professor Noakes said: “I am honoured and excited to lead the Royal Historical Society at a time of considerable opportunity and challenge for history and historians.

“History is currently thriving in many ways: public interest in the past is unparalleled and today’s historians are working with great creativity, dedication and skill to bring their research to new audiences. Equally, history is facing unprecedented pressures, most notably in higher education where its value and contribution to society is often under appreciated.

“The Royal Historical Society is central to both these environments - championing history’s opportunities and potential while supporting and defending the discipline and profession. As President, I look forward greatly to working with the Society’s Council, its membership, and the wider historical community, to pursue these important goals.”

Prior to joining Essex in 2017, Professor Noakes held posts at the universities of Southampton Solent, Portsmouth and Brighton.

As a specialist in the history of modern Britain, Professor Noakes researches the experience and memory of those who have lived through conflict, with a particular focus on the First and Second World Wars. Her recent books include Dying for the Nation: Death, Grief and Bereavement in Second World War Britain (2020) and War and the British: Gender, Memory and National Identity 1939-1991 (revised edition 2023).

Jane Winters, Chair of the Society’s Presidential Selection Committee, said: “Lucy has the ideal mix of expertise and experience to lead the Royal Historical Society in supporting and championing historians wherever they are found. She has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by different kinds of institution, both within and outside higher education, and an outstanding track record of working across sectors to promote and advance the discipline of history.

“Lucy combines exceptional scholarship with extensive management and leadership experience, and takes a wonderfully collaborative approach to both. I’m delighted that she will be taking over as President from November 2024, to build on the work of Emma and her predecessors.”

Find out more about Professor Noakes’ vision for the Society.