The history of the annual Ramsay Murray lecture
The Ramsay Murray lecture is an annual event organised by Selwyn College following a bequest from the late Lt Col Ramsay Murray (SE 1936). The first lecture was given in 1996, and in the years since it has become established as a prestigious lecture series, delivered by a wide range of internationally distinguished academics and experts. The lectures have reflected Ramsay Murray’s wishes in so much as he wanted them to be of historical or general interest and ‘preferably of an interdisciplinary nature’.
Who was Ramsay Murray?
Lt Col Alexander Michael St Leger Ramsay Murray, or Ramsay, as he was universally known, came up to Selwyn in 1936 from Bedford School, where he had been boat captain and a leading athlete in field events, especially the pole vault. He rowed for the College in 1937 and again in the second boat in the Tideway Head in 1939. He also represented Selwyn in the pole vault, hurdles and high jump, and was awarded Freshman's Colours for the pole vault against Oxford.
After reading chemistry and then military studies he joined the Royal Artillery in which he continued after the War. He retired with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, following which he was attached to the Ministry of Defence in a civilian capacity for the rest of his career.
In 1957 he was invited back to the college to help coach the May Boat, and thereafter he assisted the Boat Club when called upon and when his duties allowed. He lived locally to the college from 1980 and soon afterwards was elected to the Committee of the Selwyn College Boat Club, which at that time helped to equip and send Selwyn crews to Henley Royal Regatta. For approximately the last ten years of his life, he was chairman of this committee and an enthusiastic supporter of all things to do with college rowing.
He died on 5th July 1994.
(This biography was adapted from an obituary contributed by E. M. Hall, former Boat Captain, in the 1994 College Calendar).
The lecture, a boat and a gate
In his will, he left a generous endowment that created the lecture series that bears his name.
He also gave funds to purchase a boat for the Men’s first VIII - and for the college to construct traditional wrought iron gates for the entrance to Selwyn on West Road (West Bye Lane) now known as the Ramsay Murray Gates.
Past speakers
Provided below is the list of speakers since the inaugural lecture in 1996. Several of the recent lectures have been recorded and are available to watch on YouTube, where they now reach an international audience. These lectures are designated in bold text — click on the names to watch the lecture.
2024 Nick Bryant
2023 Lyndal Roper
2022 Anand Menon
2021 Rana Mitter
2020 Trevor Phillips, OBE ARCS FIC
2019 David Reynolds, FBA
2018 Frank Gardner
2017 Amanda Vickery
2016 Theda Skocpol
2015 Bridget Kendall
2014 John Deathridge
2013 Mark Mazower
2011 Judith Herrin
2010 Richard Carwardine
2009 Ludmilla Jordanova
2008 Quentin Skinner
2007 Jonathan Riley-Smith
2006 David Cannadine
2005 Ian Kershaw
2004 Niall Ferguson
2003 Onora O’Neill
2002 Laurence Freedman
2001 Ian Clark
2000 Roy Porter
1999 John Keegan
1998 Keith Thomas
1997 Michael Howard
1996 Paul Kennedy
