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Public Orator

Traditional post at UK universities

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
3 min read
Source updated July 13, 2026
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The Public Orator is a traditional official post at universities, especially in the United Kingdom. The holder of this office acts as the voice of the university on public occasions.

The position at Oxford University dates from 1564. The Public Orator at the university presents honorary degrees, giving an oration for each person that is honoured. They may be required to compose addresses and letters as directed by the Hebdomadal Council of the university. Speeches when members of the royal family are present may also be required. The post was instituted for a visit to Oxford by Queen Elizabeth I in 1566. The Public Orator, Thomas Kingsmill, gave a very long historical speech. Sir Isaac Wake addressed King James I similarly in 1605.

At the University of Cambridge, the title for the position changed from "Public Orator" to "Orator" in 1926. Trinity College Dublin in Ireland also has a Public Orator. There is no equivalent position in American universities.

01List of Public Orators

England

Oxford University

See also Category:Public Orators of the University of Oxford.

Cambridge University

See also Category:Cambridge University Orators.

Liverpool University

Durham University

Birkbeck, University of London

Ireland

Trinity College, Dublin

Russia

Lomonosov Moscow State University

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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Public Orator”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Public speaking

Public speaking, or oratory, is the delivery of a speech to a live audience. Throughout history, public speaking has held significant cultural, religious, and political importance, emphasizing the necessity of effective rhetorical skills.