List of Durham University people

This is a list of people associated with Durham University, founded in 1832 in England. This includes alumni, those who have taught there, done research there or were involved in its founding. Durham is a collegiate university, so where known and if applicable, they are shown alongside their associated college.

Durham alumni are active through organizations and events such as the annual reunions, dinners and balls. 67 Durham associations ranging from international to college and sports affiliated groups cater for the more than 109,000 living alumni.^[1] A number of Durham alumni have made significant contributions in the fields of government, law, science, academia, business, arts, journalism, and athletics, among others.

• 

  Sir Peter Ustinov

• 

  George Alagiah

• 

  Andrew Strauss

• 

  Jonathan Edwards

Academics

Fellows of the Royal Society

• Ephraim Anderson (King's) - bacteriologist, best known for his work highlighting the human health dangers of drug-resistant bacteria created by antibiotics^[2]
• Jas Pal Badyal - chemist.^[3]
• Francis Arthur Bainbridge - physiologist, professor of physiology, chair of physiology at St. Bartholomew's Hospital
• John Barrow (Van Mildert) - cosmologist, winner of the 2006 Templeton Prize^[4]
• Neil Bartlett (King's) - chemist best known for his discovery of noble gas compounds^[5]
• Julian Besag - statistician, awarded Guy Medal in Silver in 1983 for his contributions to spatial statistics
• Martin Bott - geologist, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, Vice-President of Christians in Science, 1992 Wollaston Medal
• George Stewardson Brady (College of Medicine) - professor of natural history at the Hancock Museum^[6]
• George Malcolm Brown (Castle) - geologist, scientist to NASA Apollo 11 mission; winner of the Murchison Medal; former director of the British Geological Survey^[7]
• Richard Christopher Carrington - Solar astronomer; "Observer" at Durham University Observatory 1849 – 1852^[8][9]
• Richard Chambers - chemist^[3]
• Ed Corrigan - mathematician; theoretical physicist; professor at the University of York, Principal of Collingwood College (2008–11)
• Kingsley Charles Dunham (Hatfield) - geologist and mineralogist; Director of the British Geological Survey; winner of the Wollaston Medal^[10][11]
• Richard Ellis - Steele Professor of Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, awarded the 2011 Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society
• James Feast - chemist, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2006–08), Royal Medal (2007)
• Carlos Frenk - cosmologist, inaugural Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics at Durham University
• William Greenwell (Castle) - archaeologist, canon at Durham Cathedral^[12]
• Harold Jeffreys (Armstrong) - mathematician and geophysicist^[13]
• James Finlay Weir Johnston - Professor in Chemistry and Mineralogy, first Durham FRS (elected 1837)^[14]
• Nigel Glover - particle physicist
• Alexander Stewart Herschel - First professor of Physics at the College of Physical Sciences^[15]
• Judith Howard - chemist^[3]
• Jeremy Hutson - chemist^[16]
• Frank Kelly (Van Mildert) - professor of the Mathematics of Systems in the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge, and Master of Christ's College, Cambridge since 2006^[17]
• John Lawton - RSPB Vice President; previously head of Natural Environment Research Council; the last chair of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
• Alan Martin - theoretical physicist
• Friedrich Paneth - Professor of Chemistry at Durham, 1939–1953^[18]
• David Parker - Professor of Chemistry at Durham (1992-); twice Head of Department; elected FRS 2002, aged 45^[19]
• Octavius Pickard-Cambridge (Castle) - priest and zoologist^[20]
• George Rochester (Armstrong) - British physicist known for having co-discovered, with Sir Clifford Butler, a subatomic particle called the kaon^[21]
• Charles Thorp - First Warden of the University^[22]
• Samuel Tolansky (Armstrong) - physicist and Nobel Prize nominee^[23]
• Lawrence Wager - geologist, explorer and mountaineer, Chair of Geology at Durham
• Richard S. Ward - mathematical physicist

Classicists and archaeologists

• J. Alan Biggins TD - scientist and surveyor of Hadrian's Wall, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (London)
• Eric Birley - historian and archaeologist, Master of Hatfield College (1949–1956)
• David Breeze - scholar of Hadrian's Wall, the Antonine Wall and the Roman Army
• Martin Carver - Professor of Archaeology at the University of York^[24]
• Brian Dobson (Hatfield) - former Reader Emeritus of Durham University
• Alan Greaves (Grey) - archaeologist, University of Liverpool
• Birgitta Hoffmann - archaeologist, director of the Roman Gask Project
• Charlotte Roberts, professor of archaeology, Fellow of the British Academy^[25]
• Malcolm Todd - historian and archaeologist, Principal of Trevelyan College (1996-2000)
• Leslie Peter Wenham - archaeologist, head of history at St. John's College, York.
• Tony Wilkinson - Professor of Archaeology from 2006 to 2014

Historians and antiquarians

• Michael Aris (Cuths) - leading Western author on Bhutanese, Tibetan and Himalayan culture and Buddhism; husband of Aung San Suu Kyi; lecturer in Asian history at St John's College, Oxford and later at St Antony's College, Oxford
• Jeremy Black - Professor of History at the University of Exeter
• Richard Britnell - Professor of History
• Bertram Colgrave (Hatfield) - medieval historian, antiquarian and archaeologist
• Anthony Crichton-Stuart - art historian, head of Old Master Paintings at Christie's, New York
• Robin Donkin FBA (King's) - historian and geographer, reader in Historical Geography in Cambridge University
• Jo Fox - historian specialising in the history of film and propaganda in twentieth-century Europe
• Roy Martin Haines (St Chad's) - Professor of Medieval History Dalhousie University, life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge
• Deborah Lavin - South African historian, Principal of Trevelyan College (1979–95)
• Dominic Montserrat (Grey) - British egyptologist and papyrologist
• Nicholas Reeves - English egyptologist
• G. M. Trevelyan - historian

Language and literature academics

• Kenneth Allott (Armstrong) - poet, academic, Kenneth Muir Professor of English at Liverpool University
• Archie Barnes - lecturer in Chinese
• Seán Burke - literary theorist, Reader in English
• Mikhail Epstein - Anglo-American and Russian literary theorist, founder and director of Centre for Humanities Innovation at Durham University
• Ruth Etchells - poet, Principal of St John's College, Durham (1979–88)
• Gary Ferguson (St Chad's) - professor of French at the University of Delaware
• The Reverend Dr Malcolm Guite - author, poet (Sounding the Seasons, The Singing Bowl), priest, and singer-songwriter; current Bye-Fellow and Chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge^[26]
• Patrick O'Meara - professor of Russian and Russian history; former Master of Van Mildert College (2004–11)
• Harold Orton (Hatfield) - Professor of English Language and Medieval English Literature, University of Leeds (1946–64)^[27]
• Ji Ungpakorn - professor of Thai

Mathematicians, medics and scientists

• Cyril Clifford Addison (Hatfield) - Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Nottingham (1960–78)^[28]
• David Barker - zoologist and neurologist, professor emeritus of zoology
• David Bellamy - botanist and environmental campaigner
• Kathleen Beyer (Armstrong) - botanist
• William Campbell (College of Science) - metallographer to the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey
• Martyn Chamberlain - Emeritus Professor of Physics, Master of Grey College
• Temple Chevallier - clergyman, astronomer, and mathematician, founding director of Durham University Observatory
• Geoffrey Coates - chemist, head of the chemistry department at Durham University (1953)
• John Frederick Dewey - structural geologist, proponent of the theory of plate tectonics
• H. Martyn Evans - Professor in Humanities in Medicine at Durham University; Principal of Trevelyan College since 2008
• Ian Fells - Emeritus Professor of Energy Conversion at Newcastle University, Michael Faraday Prize 1993
• Andrew Fisher - Professor of Physics at University College London
• Gillian Foulger - Professor of Geophysics, Durham University, awarded the 2005 Price Medal
• David Gavaghan - director of the Life Sciences Interface Doctoral Training Centre, University of Oxford
• Monica Grady - Professor of Planetary and Space Science at the Open University
• Ruth Gregory - theoretical physicist
• Arthur Holmes - geologist, early exponent of plate tectonics
• Hans Kronberger - former Scientist-in-Chief at UKAEA
• Marie Lebour (1876-1971), marine biologist
• Gordon Manley - climatologist
• Nigel Martin - mathematician and politician, Principal of Trevelyan College (2000-2008)
• M. A. Wazed Miah - physicist
• Thomas Horrocks Openshaw (1856–1929) - Victorian surgeon and recipient of a Jack the Ripper letter
• A. W. Pryor - physicist
• Christopher Melhuish - geologist, Founder and Head of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL), Professor of Robotics at University of Bristol and University of the West of England^[29]
• Caleb Scharf - American astronomer
• Paul Sutcliffe - mathematical physicist
• John Walton, Baron Walton of Detchant - former President of British Medical Association, General Medical Council and the Royal Society of Medicine

Other academics

• Michael Alcorn - Director of the School of Music and Sonic Arts at Queen's University, Belfast
• Robert Allison - Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University
• Ash Amin - professor of geography, University of Cambridge
• Ewan Anderson - Emeritus Professor of Geopolitics at Durham
• Roy Ascott (King's) - British artist and theorist and professor at Plymouth University
• David Axon - professor at the University of Hertfordshire and Rochester Institute of Technology
• Lewis Ayres - catholic theologian, Bede Chair of Catholic Theology at Durham
• Charles Kingsley Barrett - biblical scholar, Professor of Divinity
• Joan Bernard - Principal of Trevelyan College, University of Durham from its foundation in 1966 to 1978
• Luiza Bialasiewicz - Polish political geographer, University of Amsterdam
• Leo Blair - barrister, law lecturer and father of Tony Blair (former Prime Minister of United Kingdom)
• Gerald Blake - geographer and Principal of Collingwood College (1987-2001)
• Ernest Bullock - Gardiner Professor of Music, Glasgow and Director of the Royal College of Music
• Robert Burgess (Bede) - Vice Chancellor of Leicester University since 1999
• Kenneth Calman - Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, then Chancellor of University of Glasgow
• Gordon Cameron (Hatfield) - Professor of Land Economy, Cambridge University, and Master at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge from 1988^[30]
• Anne Campbell - Professor of Psychology
• David Carter - Bursar at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge University
• John Casken - composer, Professor of Music at the University of Manchester, 1992-2008
• Stephen R. L. Clark - philosopher and professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Liverpool
• Stanley Cohen - Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics
• Dan Cohn-Sherbok - Jewish theologian and author on religion, Professor Emeritus of Judaism at the University of Wales
• David E. Cooper - Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Durham University
• Mike Crang - Professor in cultural geography
• Douglas Davies (St John's) - theologian, Professor in the Study of Religion at Durham^[31]
• Ronan Deazley - scholar of copyright lawyer, Professor of Commercial Law at University of Glasgow
• James Dunn - British New Testament scholar, Lightfoot Professor of Divinity
• Iain R. Edgar - social anthropologist
• Anoush Ehteshami - Professor and Joint Director of the ESRC Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World, Durham
• Joe Elliott - Principal of Collingwood College and Professor of Education at Durham
• Christopher Evans - theologian, authority on the New Testament, appointed to Lightfoot Professorship at Durham
• Stanley Eveling - English playwright and academic at Edinburgh University
• Ghazi Falah - geographer at University of Akron
• Anthony Forster - political scientist, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex
• Robert Michael Franklin, Jr. - president of Morehouse College
• David Grant - Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University
• David Harper - Professor of Palaeontology in Earth Sciences, Principal of Van Mildert College (2011–present)
• William Edmund Hick - British psychologist, pioneer in experimental psychology
• Chris Higgins (Grey) - Academic, Vice Chancellor of Durham University 2007 – 2014
• David Jasper (St Chad's) - Professor of Theology and Literature at the University of Glasgow
• George Wilberforce Kakoma - professor of music, composer of Uganda's national anthem
• R. W. L. Moberly - British Old Testament scholar, Professor of Theology and Bilical Interpretation
• Muhamad Rasat Muhamad, President of the Multimedia University, Malaysia
• Richard Ovenden (St Chad's) - Deputy Directior and Head of Special Collections, Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
• Hugh Pearman (St Chad's) - architecture and design critic for The Sunday Times since 1986^[32]
• Peter Ustinov - Chancellor of the University of Durham
• Paul Wellings - Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University
• Ted Wragg (Hatfield) - Educationalist and academic, Professor of Education at the University of Exeter (1978-2003)^[33]

Business people

Tim Smit, founder of the Eden Project

• Richard Adams (St John's) - pioneer of Fair Trade and founder of Traidcraft
• Adam Applegarth (Grey) - Chief Executive Officer of Northern Rock bank (2001–07)^[34]
• Ian Baggett, real estate entrepreneur
• Stephen Bicknell (St Chad's) - leading British organ builder and lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music
• John Cadman, 1st Baron Cadman FRS - executive of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
• Patrick Carter, Baron Carter of Coles (Hatfield) - Chairman of Sport England (2002–06)^[35]
• Cecil Chao - A Hong Kong billionaire, the Chairman and owner of Cheuk Nang Holdings Ltd
• E. C. B. Corlett - naval architect and consultant, pivotal in the restoration of the SS Great Britain
• Edwin Davies, businessman and philanthropist^[36]
• Steve Easterbrook (St Chad's) - CEO of McDonald’s^[37]
• Leslie Ferrar - Treasurer to Charles, Prince of Wales
• David French - Chief Executive of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy
• Katharine Gun (St Mary's) - former translator for GCHQ and whistle-blower of information concerning USA activities in their push for the 2003 invasion of Iraq
• Dame Elisabeth Hoodless (King's) - Executive Director of Community Service Volunteers
• Tom Hume (King's) - first Director of the Museum of London
• Julian Knight - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of climate change campaign Global Cool
• Herbert Loebl (King's) - co-founder of Joyce, Loebl & Company
• John Laurent Giles - yacht designer^[38]
• Sir Robert Malpas - engineer and industrialist^[39]
• Ian Marchant - CEO of SSE plc
• Ian McCafferty - member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee
• Peter Middlebrook - CEO of Geopolicity Inc.; international political economist
• Sir Peter Ogden - co-founder of Computacenter
• Nick Scheele (Cuths) - President and COO of the Ford Motor Company
• Tim Smit - horticulturalist and creator of the Eden Project^[33]
• David Sproxton (Collingwood) - co-founder (with Peter Lord) of Aardman Animations
• Michael Spurr (St Chad's) - Director of Operations, HM Prison Service
• David Walton (Van Mildert) - economist, member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee
• Michael Warrender, 3rd Baron Bruntisfield - director of Jardine Fleming Investment Management and Atlas Capital
• Rupert Whitaker (Hild Bede) - founder and chairman of the Tuke Institute; co-founder of the Terence Higgins Trust

Judges and lawyers

Judges

• Jill Black (Trevelyan) - Lord Justice of Appeal and Privy councillor^[40][41]
• Charles Ernest St. John Branch - Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and 23rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
• James Goss (University) - Justice of the High Court (Queens Bench Division)
• Anthony Hughes (Van Mildert) - Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom; former Lord Justice of Appeal; Vice-President of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales^[42]
• Henry M. Joko-Smart - Justice of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone
• David George Maddison (Grey) - Justice of the High Court (Queens Bench Division)^[43]
• Andrew McFarlane (Collingood) - High Court Judge, Lord Justice of Appeal^[44]
• Robert Strother Stewart (Hatfield & Armstrong) - Justice of the Supreme Court of the Gold Coast Colony and Member of the West African Court of Appeal.
• Caroline Swift (St Aidan's) - leading counsel to the Inquiry in the Shipman Inquiry and Justice of the High Court (Queens Bench Division)^[45]
• Mark Waller - former Lord Justice of Appeal and Vice-President of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales

Lawyers and others

• Deryck Beyleveld - founding Director of the Sheffield Institute of Biotechnological Law and Ethics; current Head of Durham Law School
• David Campbell - former Head of the Law Department and specialist in contract law
• Tufyal Choudhury - international human rights lawyer
• David O'Keeffe - Professor of European Law

Broadcasters and entertainers

Gabby Logan, gymnast

George Alagiah, presenter of BBC News at Six

• George Alagiah (Van Mildert) - broadcaster; BBC TV News at Six since 2003^[46]
• Matthew Amroliwala (St Chad's) - BBC news presenter
• Biddy Baxter (St Mary's) - TV producer (Blue Peter) and inventor of the Blue Peter badge
• Lionel Blue (Grey) - rabbi, broadcaster, author; Honorary Doctor of Divinity and Fellow at Grey College^[47]
• Arthur Bostrom (St Chad's) - actor, early member of the Durham Revue, played Officer Crabtree in 'Allo 'Allo!
• Andrew Buchan (Cuths) - actor
• Jamie Campbell (St John's) - documentary filmmaker; writer in the New Statesman, The Guardian and The Mail on Sunday
• James Cary (Collingwood) - TV and radio writer
• Daniel Casey (Grey) - co-star of Midsomer Murders
• Charles Mark Townshend Colville (St Chad's) - 5th Viscount Colville of Culross, BBC producer and director, elected as hereditary peer in 2011
• Guy de la Bédoyère (Collingwood) - British historian and broadcaster
• Marc Edwards - Welsh and Chinese television presenter on China Central Television
• George Entwistle (Castle) - journalist, TV producer and former Director-General of the BBC^[48]
• John Exelby - co-founder and editor of BBC News World Service
• Shelagh Fogarty - host of the BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast show
• Fiona Foster (Van Mildert) - television presenter of BBC Business News and ITV London Tonight
• Alastair Fothergill (Cuths) - BBC Nature producer and co-producer of The Blue Planet
• Jonathan Gould (Hatfield) - Channel 5 television presenter of MLB on Five
• Helen Grace (Castle) - actress notable for role as incestuous sibling Georgia Simpson in Brookside
• Pippa Greenwood (Trevelyan) - plant pathologist, appears on BBC Gardeners World
• Judith Hann (St Aidan's) - freelance broadcaster and writer, former Tomorrow's World presenter^[49][50]
• Lorraine Heggessey (Collingwood) - controller of BBC One 2000-2004
• Gavin Hewitt (St John's) - Special Correspondent for BBC News^[51]
• Chris Hollins (Hild Bede) - broadcaster, sports presenter for BBC Breakfast
• Sally El Hosaini (Collingwood) - filmmaker
• Nina Hossain (Cuths) - broadcast journalist
• Louise Hulland (St Chad's) - BBC reporter (Watchdog); ITN journalist (ITV London News); radio presenter
• George Lazenby (Bede) - actor, portrayed James Bond in the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service^[52]
• Gabby Logan (Hild Bede) - 1999 Commonwealth Games gymnast and TV presenter
• Alex MacQueen - actor
• Cecil McGivern - Controller of BBC Television Service (1950-1957)
• Nick Mohammed (St Aidan's) - comedian and actor^[53][54]
• Dominic Montserrat (Grey) - TV Egyptologist
• Roger Moore (Bede) - actor, never graduated due to national service, seven times "James Bond" actor^[55][56]
• Maryam Nemazee - Bloomberg presenter
• Mark Pougatch (Hatfield) - BBC sports presenter and radio host^[57]
• Charlotte Riley (Cuths) - actress
• Patrick Ryecart (Bede) - actor (never graduated)
• Jonny Saunders (Collingwood) - BBC Radio 2 Sports Presenter
• David Shukman (Hatfield) - BBC correspondent^[33]
• Gareth Sibson (Castle) - writer and broadcaster
• Kate Silverton (Cuths) - Broadcast journalist
• Chris Terrill (Collingwood) - documentary maker, writer and adventurer
• Jeremy Vine (Hatfield) - BBC radio and television presenter^[33]
• James Wilby (Grey) - film, television and theatre actor
• Tim Willcox (St Chad's), BBC television presenter^[58]
• Fenella Woolgar - actor

Military personnel

Baron Dannatt, Constable of the Tower of London

• General Sir Richard Dannatt, Baron Dannatt (Hatfield) - current Constable of the Tower; former Chief of General Staff of the British Army^[59][60]
• Rear Admiral Amjad Hussain (Collingwood) - British Royal Navy (first Admiral from an ethnic-minority group and the highest ranking ethnic-minority officer in the UK armed forces)
• Vice Admiral Sir Richard Jeffrey Ibbotson - former Naval Secretary and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet
• Rear Admiral Clive Johnstone - Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff
• Vice Admiral Anthony Johnstone-Burt (Van Mildert) - Chief of Staff to NATO's Supreme Allied Command Transformation
• Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence - Vice-Admiral of the Royal Navy, husband of Princess Anne^[61]
• Rear Admiral Matthew John Parr - Commander Operations (Royal Navy)
• Alan Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland - army officer
• Major-General Peter Grant Peterkin - former Sergeant at Arms and Military Secretary
• Major-General Timothy Radford (St Chad's) - General Officer Commanding, Force Troops Command and former Chief of Staff, International Security Assistance Force HQ (Afghanistan)
• Air Chief Marshal Sir James Milne Robb - senior Royal Air Force commander; former Air Chief Marshal; Vice-Chief of the Air Staff; Inspector-General of the RAF
• Air Vice Marshal Adam Henry Robson (Armstrong) - officer in the Royal Air Force and Director of Educational Services for the RAF
• Vice Admiral Sir David George Steel - former Second Sea Lord
• Major-General John Christopher Blake Sutherell - former Director Special Forces
• John Vane, 11th Baron Barnard - army officer, Lord Lieutenant of Durham
• Air Marshal Peter Brett Walker - former assistant Chief of Staff at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe; current Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey

Musicians and artists

• Ralph Allwood - Director of Music at Eton College
• Frederic Austin - English baritone singer, musical teacher and composer from 1905–30
• Edward Bairstow - organist and composer in the Anglican church music tradition
• H. Hugh Bancroft - British organist and composer who was organist of five cathedrals
• Jon Boden - English fiddle player and folk singer
• Thomas Frederick Candlyn - organist and choirmaster, St. Thomas Church, New York
• Andrew Cantrill - organist and choirmaster, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buffalo, New York
• Justin Chancellor - bassist, Tool
• King Charles - indie rock artist
• J. Michael Clarke (St Chad's) - composer and musician
• Rod Clements (Cuths) - musician in folk-rock band Lindisfarne
• (Alfred) Melville Cook - British organist and conductor
• Joseph Crabtree (Collingwood) - drummer, Wishbone Ash
• Jonathan Darlington - conductor and Music Director of Vancouver Opera
• Bryan Ferry - Roxy Music singer (only studied for one year before moving to Newcastle)^[62]
• Margot Fonteyn - ballet dancer, Chancellor of Durham University
• Noel Forster (King's) - British artist
• Ruth Gipps - British composer, oboist and pianist
• Dan "Nu:Tone" Gresham - drum and bass musician
• Ted Harrison - Canadian artist
• Patrick Hawes (St Chad's) - composer and Classic FM's Composer in Residence
• Gwyneth Herbert - singer-songwriter and jazz musician^[63]
• Arthur Hutchings - professor of music in Durham, author of books on Mozart's piano concertos and Jean-Philippe Rameau
• John Joubert - composer of choral music
• James MacMillan - composer
• Stuart MacRae (Hild Bede) - composer
• Anthony Payne (Cuths) - composer and Elgar specialist
• Giles Ramsay (St Chad's) - theatre director, producer and playwright, Fellow of St Chad's^[64]
• Malcolm Sargent - English conductor, organist and composer
• Tim "Exile" Shaw - drum and bass and IDM musician
• Robert Simpson - composer, writer, BBC producer
• Ronald Smith - English classical pianist, composer and teacher
• Richard Terry (musicologist)
• Alan Walker - musicologist and biographer of Franz Liszt
• John B. Williams (Van Mildert) - drum and bass musician and DJ

Politicians and civil servants

Members of the House of Commons

Graham Brady, Chairman of 1922 Committee

For former MPs who went on to be members of the House of Lords, see "Members of the House of Lords" below

• Heidi Alexander (Grey) - Labour Member of Parliament for Lewisham East, Shadow Secretary of State for Health^[65] (2015 – present)
• David Anderson - Labour, Blaydon (2005 – present)
• Jon Ashworth (St Aidan's) - Labour Member of Parliament for Leicester South (2011 – present),^[66] Shadow Minister without Portfolio^[67] (2015 – present)
• Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge - Liberal Member of Parliament for Gainsborough (1895 - 1900)
• Crispin Blunt (Castle) - Conservative MP for Reigate (1997 – present) and former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice^[68]
• James Boyden - Labour Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland (1959 – 1979)
• Graham Brady (St Aidan's) - Conservative Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale West (1997–present); Chairman of 1922 Committee
• Robert Buckland (Hatfield) - Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Swindon South (2010 – present)^[69]
• Jenny Chapman - Labour Darlington (2010 – present)
• John Robert Davison QC - Liberal Member of Parliament for the City of Durham (1868 – 1871)
• Jackie Doyle-Price (Castle) - Conservative, Thurrock (2010 – present)
• Bill Etherington - Labour MP for Sunderland North (1992 – 2010)
• Nick Gibb (Hild Bede) - Conservative MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (1997 – present), Minister of State for Schools
• Paul Goggins (Ushaw) - Labour Member of Parliament for Wythenshawe and Sale East (1997 – 2014)
• Jane Griffiths (St Mary's) - linguist and Labour MP for Reading East (1997–2005)
• Peter Kilfoyle - Labour Member of Parliament for Liverpool Walton (1991 – 2010)
• Sir Edward Leigh (Castle) - Conservative MP for Gainsborough and Horncastle (1993 – 1997) and Gainsborough (1997 – present); Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee
• Malcolm MacDonald - National Labour cabinet minister, Governor-General of Malaya, Governor-General of Kenya, chancellor of Durham University; Labour MP for Bassetlaw (1929 – 1931), National Labour MP for Bassetlaw (1931 – 1935) and Ross and Cromarty (1936 – 1945)
• Shona McIsaac (St Aidan's) - Labour Member of Parliament for Cleethorpes (1997 – 2010)^[70]
• Piers Merchant (Castle) - Conservative MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (1983 – 1987) and Beckenham (1992 – 1997), JCR "Senior Man"^[71] and President of Durham University Conservative Association
• Alan Meale - Labour, Mansfield (1987 – present)
• Sir Fergus Montgomery (Bede) - Conservative member of Parliament Newcastle upon Tyne East (1959 – 1964), Brierley Hill (1967 - 1974) and Altrincham and Sale (1974 – 1997), aide to Margaret Thatcher
• Mo Mowlam (Trevelyan) - Labour cabinet minister, MP for Redcar (1987 – 2001)
• Oswald O'Brien (Cuths) - Labour MP for Darlington (1983)
• John Pugh (Cuths) - Liberal Democrat MP for Southport (2001 – present)
• Nathan Raw (1866 – 1940) - Conservative Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree (1918 – 1922)
• Edward Shortt - Home Secretary (1919 – 1922) and Chief Secretary for Ireland (1918 – 1919); Liberal MP for Newcastle upon Tyne (1910 – 1918) and Newcastle upon Tyne West (1918 – 1922)
• Sir John Sinclair, 3rd Baronet (1825 – 1912) - Liberal Member of Parliament for Caithness (1869 – 1885)
• Rachel Squire (Trevelyan) - Labour MP for Dunfermline West (1992 – 2005)
• Thomas Charles Thompson (University) - Liberal Member of Parliament for the City of Durham (1874 & 1880 – 1885)
• Edward Timpson - Conservative Member of Parliament for Crewe and Nantwich (2008 – present)
• Henry Villiers-Stuart (1827-1895; Castle) - Soldier, clergyman, author and Liberal Member of Parliament for County Waterford (1873 – 1874 & 1880 – 1885)^[72]
• James Wharton (Castle) - Conservative MP for Stockton South (2010 – present)^[73]
• Jenny Willott (St Mary's) - Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central (2005 – 2015), junior whip from 2012^[74]
• Esmond Wright - Conservative MP for Glasgow Pollok (1967 – 1970), historian and Director of the Institute of United States Studies

Members of the House of Lords

Viscount Knutsford, former Secretary of State for the Colonies

For Lord Bishops see under "Religion" below.

• Charles Colville, 5th Viscount Colville of Culross (St Chads) - Crossbencher
• Jack Cunningham, Baron Cunningham of Felling (Bede) - former Labour Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster^[75]
• Jack Dormand, Baron Dormand of Easington - British educationist, former Government whip and Parliamentary Labour Party chair
• Oliver Eden, 8th Baron Henley (Collingwood) - Conservative spokesman on Constitutional and Legal Affairs in the House of Lords
• Dianne Hayter, Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Trevelyan) - Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town; former General Secretary of the Fabian Society; former chair of the Labour Party^[76]
• Henry Holland, 1st Viscount Knutsford - Secretary of State for the Colonies, 1887-1892
• Michael Jopling, Baron Jopling (King's) - former Conservative MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale
• Herbert Laming, Baron Laming - Convenor of the Crossbench Peers
• Roger Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough - former MP
• Sally Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Huyton (Van Mildert) - British Labour Party politician, former Minister of State for Women and Board Member of the Olympic Delivery Authority
• Fred Peart, Baron Peart - former Labour Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords; Member of Parliament for Workington (1945–1976)
• Henry Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland - 19th-century MP, Chancellor of Durham University
• Joyce Quin, Baroness Quin - former tutor at Durham University
• Randolph Quirk, Baron Quirk - former professor at Durham University
• John Sewel, Baron Sewel - former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
• Maeve Sherlock, Baroness Sherlock (St Chads) - Honorary Fellow of St Chad's; former Chief Executive of the Refugee Council and policy advisor to Gordon Brown
• Edward Short, Baron Glenamara (Bede) - former Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council; Labour Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (1951–1976)
• Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry - former Conservative MP, Chancellor of Durham University

Members of regional assemblies and parliaments

• Nick Ramsay (St Johns) - Conservative Assembly Member for Monmouth (2007 – present); Shadow Finance Minister

Ambassadors and High Commissioners

• Asif Ahmad - British Ambassador to the Philippines
• Nick Archer (St Chad's) - British Ambassador to Denmark^[77]
• Norman Aspin - (St John's) - High Commissioners of the United Kingdom to Malta
• David Carter - British High Commissioner to Bangladesh (2000 to 2004)
• Anwar Choudhury - British High Commissioner to Bangladesh
• Fergus Cochrane-Dyet (Grey) - Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Liberia
• Sir Kim Darroch - British Ambassador to the United States, former National Security Advisor, former British Permanent Representative to the European Union
• Judith Farnworth - British Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan
• Sir James Hennessy (King's) - High Commissioner to Kampala, Uganda, non-resident Ambassador to Rwanda, Governor of British Honduras and Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons
• Paul Madden - British High Commissioner to Australia
• Samir Sumaidaie - Ambassador of Iraq to the USA

Other political figures

• Crispin Curtis Adeniyi-Jones - President of the Nigerian National Democratic Party; member of the legislative council of Nigeria, 1923-1938
• Rodney Atkinson - eurosceptic campaigner and economist
• Charles Bruzon (Ushaw) - Gibraltarian government minister and curate^[78]
• John Douglas - Premier of Queensland^[79]
• Ruth First - anti-apartheid activist assassinated by the South African security services
• George Gretton - Commissioner of the Scottish Law Commission
• Kerryann Ifill (Durham Business School) - President of the Senate of Barbados since 2012 (first woman and first person with a disability to hold that position)
• Sir Cadwaladr Bryner Jones - Welsh Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture
• Phyllis Kandie - Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, appointed 25 April 2013
• Norman Lacy (Durham Business School) - Australian politician^[80]
• Eduardo J. Lopez-Reyes (Ustinov; School of Government and International Affairs) - National Vice Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, United States^[81]
• Sir Milton Margai - first Prime Minister of Sierra Leone
• Steven Marshall - leader of the Liberal Party in South Australia; elected member for Norwood, South Australia; Shadow Minister for Industry and Trade, Defence Industries, Small Business, Science and Information Economy, Environment and Conservation and Sustainability and Climate Change
• Maurice Berkeley Portman - Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
• Francis Ambrose Ridley - Marxist, secularist and President of the National Secular Society (1951-1963)
• Graham Savage - civil servant and educationalist
• Reresby Sitwell, 7th Baronet (Grey) - Hon. Fellow of Grey from 2001^[82]
• Mike Tomlinson - Chief Inspector of Schools and chair of the Working Group for 14–19 Reform
• Elsie Tu (Armstrong) - elected member of the Urban Council of Hong Kong, and member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong

Religion

Archbishops and Primates

• Walter Robert Adams (Castle) - former Archbishop of Yukon and Acting Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada
• Drexel Gomez (St Chad's) - Archbishop of the West Indies (1998–2009)
• Alastair Haggart (Hatfield) - professor of theology and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church (1977–1985)
• James Horstead - Archbishop of West Africa (1955 – 1961)
• Edward Hutson - Archbishop of the West Indies (1922–1936)
• Michael Ramsey (St Chad's) - Baron Ramsey of Canterbury; former Van Mildert Professor of Divinity; Fellow, Governor and Visitor of St Chad's' Archbishop of Canterbury (1961-1974)
• Justin Welby (St John's) - previously Bishop of Durham, succeeded Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury in 2013^[83]

Bishops

• Thomas Makinson Armour - Bishop of Wangaratta
• Robert Ronald Atwell - Bishop of Stockport
• Clifford Conder Barker (St Chad's) - Bishop of Whitby (1976–1983) and Bishop of Selby (1983–1991)^[84]
• Frederic Beaven (University) - Bishop of Mashonaland (1911–1925)
• James Harold Bell (St John's) - the Bishop of Knaresborough
• David Williams Bentley (Cuths) - 7th Bishop of Barbados
• Richard Blackburn (St John's) - Bishop of Warrington
• John Boys (Hatfield) - Provincial Commissary to the Archbishop of Cape Town, 4th Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman^[85]
• Ronald Brown - Bishop of Birkenhead
• Mark Bryant - Bishop of Jarrow
• Cyril Bulley - Late Bishop of Penrith and Bishop of Carlisle
• Edmund Capper - Bishop of St Helena (1967 –1973)
• Sydney Caulton (St Chad's) - Dean of Auckland, Bishop of Melanesia
• Alan Chesters (St Chad's) - Bishop of Blackburn 1989-2003, made Hon. Fellow at St Chad's in 2010^[86]
• Steven Croft (St John's) - Bishop of Sheffield^[87]
• Harold Darby - former Bishop of Sherwood
• David Edwardes Davies - Bishop of Bangor 1944 –1949
• Mark Davies (Ushaw) - Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury
• Peter Dawes (Hatfield) - Bishop of Derby, 1988–95^[88]
• Michael Doe - former Bishop of Swindon
• Christopher Paul Edmondson (St John's) - Bishop of Bolton
• Christopher Foster (Castle) - Bishop of Portsmouth^[89]
• George Frodsham (University) - Bishop of North Queensland (1902 –1913)
• John Gaisford - Bishop of Beverley
• Michael Frederick Gear (St John's) - former Suffragan Bishop of Doncaster
• John Gladwin (St John's) - Bishop of Chelmsford
• John Goddard - Bishop of Burnley
• Frederick Goldie (Hatfield) - Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway (1974-1980)^[90]
• Alastair Haggart (Hatfield) - Bishop of Edinburgh in 1975-85^[91]
• Temple Hamlyn (Hatfield) - Bishop of Accra (1908 – 1910)^[92]
• Clive Handford (Hatfield) - Bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf (1996–2007)^[93]
• Ralph Hawkins (Hatfield) - Bishop of Bunbury^[94]
• Robert Hay - Bishop of Tasmania (1919 –1943)
• Samuel Heaslett - Bishop of South Tokyo (1921 – 1941)
• Michael Henshall (St Chad's) - former Bishop Suffragan of Warrington (1976–96)^[95]
• George Hills (Castle) - first bishop of the Diocese of British Columbia^[96]
• Nick Holtham (Collingwood) - Bishop of Salisbury^[97]
• William Walsham How (Castle) - first Bishop of Wakefield^[96]
• John Howe - Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane (1955– 1969)
• John Taylor Hughes (Bede) - former Bishop of Croydon and Bishop to the Forces
• John Inge (St Chad's) - Bishop of Worcester, Honorary Fellow of St Chad's
• Michael Ipgrave (St Chad's) - Area Bishop of Woolwich^[98]
• Francis Johnston (Hatfield) - Bishop of Egypt (1952-1958)^[99]
• Thomas Sherwood Jones - Bishop of Hulme 1930 –1945
• William Stanton Jones - Bishop of Sodor and Man 1928–1942
• Donald Knowles (Hatfield) - Bishop of Antigua (1953 – 1969)^[100]
• Libby Lane (St John's) - Bishop of Stockport, first woman consecrated a Church of England bishop^[101]
• James Linton - Anglican Bishop in Persia
• Evered Lunt (University) - Bishop of Stepney 1957 –1968
• Peter Maurice - Bishop of Taunton
• Sandy Millar - Anglican bishop appointed by the Church of Uganda as a Bishop in Mission to London
• Vernon Nicholls - Bishop of Sodor and Man (1974–1983)
• Cecil Norgate (St Chad's) - former Bishop of Masasi, Tanzania
• Robert Paterson (St John's) - Bishop of Sodor and Man
• Geoffrey Seagrave Pearson (St John's) - Anglican Bishop of Lancaster
• Anthony Russell (Chad's) - Honorary Fellow, retired Lord Bishop of Ely
• Mark Rylands (Hild Bede) - Bishop of Shrewsbury^[102]
• Frank Sargeant - Bishop of Stockport (1984–1994); Bishop at Lambeth (1994–1999)
• John Saxbee (St John's) - Bishop of Lincoln
• Bertram Simpson - Bishop of Kensington (1932–1942); Bishop of Southwark (1942–1959)
• David Stancliffe - Fellow of St Chad's, retired Bishop of Salisbury
• William Nigel Stock (Cuths) - current Bishop at Lambeth, former Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
• Cyril Swaby - Bishop of Jamaica 1968–1975
• Proctor Swaby - Bishop of Guyana and Bishop of Barbados
• Gordon Tindall (Hatfield) - Bishop of Grahamstown (1964 – 1969)^[103]
• John Tinsley - Bishop of Bristol
• Michael Turnbull (St John's) - Bishop of Durham (1994–2003)
• James Turner - Second Bishop of Grafton and Armidale, Australia
• William Van Mildert - former Bishop of Durham
• Martin Warner (St Chad's) - Bishop of Chichester
• Martin Wharton (Van Mildert) - Lord Bishop of Newcastle
• John Wilson (Ushaw) - Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster^[104]
• Paul Gavin Williams (Grey) - Bishop of Kensington^[105]

Archdeacons

• Alexander Chriholm - Archdeacon of Carlisle
• Richard Gillings (St Chad's) - Archdeacon of Macclesfield (1994–2004)^[106]
• Thomas Hodgson - Archdeacon of Huntingdon 1915–1921
• Andrew Spens - Archdeacon of Lahore (1892–1900)
• Charles Thorp - former rector of Ryton; former Archdeacon of Durham; virtual founder and first Warden of the University, first master of University College
• Paul Wheatley - Archdeacon of Sherborne 1991–2003
• Thomas Williams - Archdeacon of Craven

Deans

• Bill Baddeley - Dean of Brisbane
• Edward Frossard - Dean of Guernsey
• John Robert Hall (St Chad's) - Dean of Westminster from 2006, Dean of the Order of the Bath since 2006, made a Hon. Fellow of St Chad's in 2009^[107]
• William Kay (Hatfield) - Provost of Blackburn Cathedral, 1936–61^[108]
• John Anthony McGuckin, Orthodox Christian priest, scholar, and poet
• Robert Pope - Dean of Gibraltar 1977–1982
• John Seaford (St Chad's) - Dean of Jersey and Rector of St Helier (1993–2005)^[109]
• Michael Tavinor - Dean of Hereford

Provosts, Canons and Presbyters

• Peter Adam (St John's) - Australian Christian minister, vicar of St Jude's Church in Carlton, Melbourne, and principal of Ridley Melbourne
• Joseph Cassidy - Principal of St Chad's College, non-residentiary canon of Durham Cathedral
• George Dragas - Orthodox Christian priest, theologian, and writer, currently professor of patristics at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
• Margaret Dryburgh - missionary in Singapore, where she was captured in the Second World War; the plight of Dryburgh and her fellow inmates in a Japanese prisoner of war camp inspired the 1997 film Paradise Road
• John Galbraith Graham (St Chad's) - British crossword puzzle writer, 'Araucaria' of The Guardian
• Robert William Bilton Hornby (Castle) - antiquarian and priest at York Minster^[96]
• Alan Horsley (St Chad's) - Provost of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Inverness (1988 to 1991)^[110]
• . John Anthony McGuckin (Ushaw College), Nielsen Professor of Church History, Union Theological Seminary New York - Orthodox Archpriest, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
• Hugh McIntosh (Hatfield) - Provost of St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow (1966 - 1970)^[111]
• John McManners (St Chad's) - Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Oxford and winner of the Wolfson History Prize
• Neil Thompson (Bede) - Canon Precentor at Rochester Cathedral
• Richard Turnbull (St John's) - Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
• Stephen Warner (Castle) - Rector of Holy Trinity, Eastbourne

Other

• John Henry Blunt - English divine
• Houn Jiyu-Kennett - Zen Buddhist teacher of the Sōtō school; founder of Shasta Abbey in the United States

Royalty

• Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg
• Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi, after whom the Al-Qasimi Building is named

Sports people

Andrew Strauss, former captain of England's Test cricket team

Jonathan Edwards, olympic gold medal and world record triple jumper

Cricketers

• Ajaz Akhtar - Cambridgeshire cricketer
• Paul Allott (Bede) - Lancashire and England cricketer
• Caroline Atkins (Hild Bede) - England cricketer
• Colin Atkinson - former Somerset cricket captain
• Jamie Atkinson (St Mary's) - Hong Kong cricket captain
• Steve Atkinson (Bede) - Durham, the Netherlands and Hong Kong cricketer (1970s)
• David Balcombe - Hampshire cricketer
• Jonathan Batty (St Chad's) — cricketer, Surrey and Gloucestershire wicket-keeper and opening batsman
• Mark Chilton - cricketer and former Lancashire captain
• Holly Colvin (St Mary's) - England cricketer; member of the current England women's cricket team; holds the record of being the youngest Test cricketer of either sex to play for England^[112]
• Nick Compton - cricketer
• Matthew Creese - cricketer
• Tim Curtis (Hatfield) - England cricketer^[113]
• Lee Daggett - Cricketer
• Brian Evans, cricketer, Hertfordshire batsman
• Laurie Evans - English cricketer
• Robert Ferley - English cricketer
• James Foster (Collingwood) - cricketer, Essex and England wicketkeeper
• Graeme Fowler (Bede) - former England and Lancashire cricketer; current coach of the MCC Centre of Excellence
• Simon Hughes (Castle) - writer, cricket analyst and former Middlesex and Durham bowler
• Nasser Hussain (Hild Bede) - former captain of the England cricket team^[55]
• Ben Hutton - cricketer
• Douglas Lockhart - cricketer
• Alex Loudon (Collingwood) - Warwickshire and England cricketer, all-rounder
• Gehan Mendis (Bede) - Sussex and Lancashire cricketer
• Tim O'Gorman (St Chad's) - cricketer, former Derbyshire opening batsman
• Will Smith (Collingwood) - Durham County Cricket Club Captain
• Martin Speight (St Chad's) - former Durham County Cricket Club wicketkeeper
• Alexander Stead - cricketer
• Andrew Strauss (Hatfield) - cricketer, captain of the England Test cricket team^[114]
• Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson (Hatfield) - former England cricketer and Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1956^[113]
• Robbie Williams - cricketer
• Matthew Windows (Hild Bede) - Gloucestershire cricketer

Rugby players

• Josh Beaumont (St. Aidan's) - Sale Sharks and England national rugby union team player
• Mark Bailey (Hild Bede) - former English national rugby union player, Professor of Later Medieval History at the University of East Anglia
• Jeremy Campbell-Lamerton (Hatfield) - former Scottish rugby union lock^[115]
• Will Carling (Hatfield) - rugby union player for Harlequin F.C., former captain of the England national rugby union team (1988-1996)^[113][116]
• Phil de Glanville (Castle) - former captain of the England national rugby union team^[117]
• P.J. Dixon (Grey) - Captain of England Rugby Union Team 1972; as an uncapped player, played in the Lions' first Test victories against New Zealand in 1971, scoring a try in the 14-14 draw at Eden Park
• Will Greenwood (Hatfield) - England rugby player^[115][118]
• Charlie Hodgson - England rugby player
• Marcus Rose (Hatfield) - England rugby union international full back^[113]
• Tim Stimpson (Grey) - rugby union player and England international (1996-2002)
• Dave Walder (Hatfield) - rugby union footballer, fly-half for the Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan^[115]
• Ben Woods (Hatfield) - former rugby union player who played for Newcastle Falcons and Leicester Tigers as an openside flanker^[115]

Olympic medallists

• Jonathan Edwards (Van Mildert) - Olympic gold medal-winning triple jumper
• Sophie Hosking (Trevelyan) - Olympic Gold medal winning rower at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the lightweight double sculls^[119]
• Stephen Rowbotham (Collingwood) - Olympic rower, Bronze medallist at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Other sports people

• Warren Bradley (Hatfield) - Manchester United and England footballer^[120][121]
• Peter Elleray (Collingwood) - Formula One and Le Mans Race Car designer
• Oliver Gill (Cuths) - footballer for Manchester United Football Club
• Wade Hall-Craggs (Grey) - Olympic rower
• Michael Knighton (Cuths) - Chairman of Carlisle United F.C.
• Tracy Langlands (St Mary's) - rower
• Rahul Mehta (St. Mary's) - Indian long distance runner, most famous for his victory in the 2001 Great North Run
• Louisa Reeve (Hatfield) - British rower^[115]
• Stephanie Solomonides (Grey) - first Cypriot to trek 900 kilometres (559.23 mi) from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole
• Robert Swan (St Chad's) - Honorary Fellow of St Chad's, Explorer - the first person to reach both the South and North Pole on foot
• Jock Wishart (Bede) - set a new world record for circumnavigation of the globe in a powered vessel and organising the Polar Race

Writers and journalists

Sir Harold Evans, Editor at Large, Reuters

Jeremy Vine, journalist and news presenter for the BBC

• Dave Anderson (Collingwood) - cartoon and animation writer
• Russell Ash (Cuths) – author of Top 10 of Everything
• Tim Atkin - wine correspondent
• Lucy Beresford (Trevelyan) - writer, psychotherapist and media commentator
• John Blackburn - author
• David J. Bodycombe (Trevelyan) - puzzle-writer
• Edward Bradley (Castle) - novelist and clergyman known by the pen name Cuthbert M. Bede; author of The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green
• Bill Bryson - writer and former University Chancellor
• Richard Caddel - poet, publisher and editor
• Peter Cadogan - writer and protester
• Dominic Carman (Hatfield) - journalist and Liberal Democrat politician^[33]
• Benjamin Cook (Collingwood) - journalist and author
• Adrian Dannatt (Chads) - child actor, artist and journalist
• Hunter Davies (Castle) - journalist and author of The Beatles: The Only Authorised Biography
• Stephen Davies (Collingwood) - children's author
• Mark Elliott (Collingwood) - travel writer
• Harold Evans (Castle) - journalist; former editor of The Sunday Times and The Times; author of The American Century^[122]
• Nigel Farndale - writer in the Sunday Telegraph
• Jonah Fisher (Collingwood) - BBC journalist
• Tim FitzHigham (St Chad's) - award-winning British comedian, author, and world record holder
• John Galbraith Graham (St Chad's) - crossword compiler, "Araucaria" of The Guardian; Chaplain and tutor at St Chad's 1949–52
• Graham Hancock - co-editor of New Internationalist magazine, 1976–1979; East Africa correspondent of The Economist, 1981-1983
• Justin Hill (Cuths) - award-winning young author
• Lorna Hill, born Lorna Leatham - children's writer, author of the Sadlers Wells series
• James Kirkup (Grey) - travel writer, poet, novelist, playwright, translator, broadcaster, Hon. Fellow Grey College from 1992^[123]
• Tina Kover (Ustinov) - translator
• Allan Mallinson (St Chad's) - military historian and author of the Matthew Hervey novels
• Rachel McCarthy (Castle) - poet, critic and broadcaster
• David Mercer (King's) - English playwright and dramatist
• Joseph Stevenson (Castle) - English Catholic archivist
• Mary Stewart (Hild) - novelist
• Patrick Tilley - science fiction author (The Amtrak Wars)
• Dan van der Vat (Cuths) - journalist, author
• Jeremy Vine (Hatfield) - journalist and early member of The Durham Revue
• Minette Walters (Trevelyan) - bestselling author and crime writer

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