The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established by Royal Charter in 1902, and is a fellowship of about 750 scholars. The Academy is self-governing and independent. A national academy is a body, usually operating with state financial support and approval, that co-ordinates the activities of research in (nearly always) the sciences and (sometimes) other disciplines. ... The humanities are a group of academic subjects united by a commitment to studying aspects of the human condition and a qualitative approach that generally prevents a single paradigm from coming to define any discipline. ... Terms like SOSE (Studies of Society & the Environment) not only refer to social sciences but also studies of the environment. ... In the United Kingdom and Canada a Royal Charter is a charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy Council, which creates or gives special status to an incorporated body. ... 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Election as a Fellow of the British Academy recognises high scholarly distinction in some branch of the humanities or social sciences, evidenced by published work. Fellows may use the letters FBA after their names.

The Academy states its objectives as follows:

• to represent the interests of scholarship nationally and internationally;
• to give recognition to excellence;
• to promote and support advanced research;
• to further international collaboration and exchange;
• to promote public understanding of research and scholarship; and
• to publish the results of research.

Presidents of the British Academy, 1902-present

• The Lord Reay 1902-1907
• Sir Edward Maunde Thompson 1907-1909
• Samuel Butcher 1909-1910
• Sir Adolphus Ward 1911-1913
• The Viscount Bryce 1913-1917
• Sir Frederic Kenyon 1917-1921
• The Earl of Balfour 1921-1928
• H. A. L. Fisher 1928-1932
• John William Mackail 1932-1936
• Sir David Ross 1936-1940
• J. H. Clapham 1940-1946
• Sir Idris Bell 1946-1950
• Sir Charles Kingsley Webster 1950-1954
• Sir George Norman Clark 1954-1958
• Sir Maurice Bowra 1958-1962
• The Lord Robbins 1962-1967
• Sir Kenneth Clinton Wheare 1967-1971
• Sir Denys Lionel Page 1971-1974
• Sir Isaiah Berlin 1974-1978
• Sir Kenneth James Dover 1978-1981
• Rev'd Owen Chadwick 1981-1985
• The Lord Quirk 1985-1989
• Sir Anthony Kenny 1993-1997
• Sir Keith Thomas 1993-1997
• Sir Tony Wrigley 1997-2001
• The Viscount Runciman 2001-

Adolphus William Ward (December 2, 1837 _ 1924), English historian and man of letters, was born at Hampstead, London, and was educated in Germany and at the university of Cambridge. ... Photograph of James Bryce James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce (1838-1922), was a British jurist, historian and politician, He was the son of James Bryce (LL.D. of Glasgow, who had a school in Belfast for many years), and was born at Belfast on May 10 1838. ... The Right Honourable Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC (25 July 1848–19 March 1930) was a British statesman and the thirty-third Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... John William Mackail (Born 1859 on the Isle of Bute - died 1945, London). ... David Ross is a Canadian trampolining coach and manufacturer of trampolines and trampoline equipment. ... Sir John Harold Clapham (September 13, 1873- March 29, 1946) was the first Professor of Economic History at Cambridge University from 1928 to 1938, and Vice-Provost of Kings College, Cambridge from 1933 until 1943. ... Sir George Norman Clark (1890-1979, knighted 1953) was a 20th Century British historian. ... Sir Cecil Maurice Bowra (April 8, 1898 – July 4, 1971) was an English classical scholar, teacher, and wit. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Sir Isaiah Berlin Sir Isaiah Berlin (June 6, 1909 – November 5, 1997) was a political philosopher and historian of ideas, regarded as one of the leading liberal thinkers of the 20th century. ... Sir Anthony John Patrick Kenny (born 1931) is an important English philosopher whose interests lie in the philosophy of mind, scholastic and ancient philosophy, the philosophy of Wittgenstein and (particularly) the philosophy of religion. ... Walter Garrison Runciman, 3rd Viscount Runciman of Doxford, CBE, is a leading British sociologist. ...

External links

• The British Academy
• The British Academy research resources portal