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.[1]
The position at Oxford University dates from 1564.[2] 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.
^"Definition: public orator". Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. die.net. 1913. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2012. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
^"Hammond, Henry (HMNT626H)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Button, Ralph (BTN634R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^A selection of his speeches is available in Higham, Thomas Farrant. 1960. Orationes Oxonienses Selectae: Short Lat. Speeches on Distinguished Contemporaries. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
^Diggle, James (1987). "Sic Oxoniae Loquuntur". The Classical Review. New Series. 37 (1): 92–95. doi:10.1017/S0009840X00100496. S2CID 162873572.. Some orations are printed in Griffith, John G. 1985. Oratiunculae Oxonienses selectae: being the Latin texts and English paraphrases of sixty-four speeches delivered in the Sheldonian Theatre when presenting recipients of Honorary Degrees, together with some additional but not unrelated matter. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
^"Obituary: Godfrey Bond". The Independent. 13 February 1997. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
^"Croke, Richard (CRK506R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Day, George (DY520G)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
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^"Smith, Thomas (SMT526T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Cheke, John (RDMN525J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Ascham, Roger (ASCN533R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Gardiner, Thomas (GRDR542T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Stokes, John (STKS544J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Acworth, George (ACWT548G)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Girlington, Anthony (GRLN548A)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Masters, William (MSTS549W)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
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^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q"List". Retrieved 5 February 2017.
^"Becon, John (BCN559J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Bridgewater, Richard (BRGR555R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Wingfield, Anthony (WNGT569A)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Mowtlowe, Henry (MWTW571H)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Naunton, Robert (NNTN578R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Nethersole, Francis (NTRL603F)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Herbert, George (HRBT609G)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Creighton, Robert (CRTN614R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Mole, Henry (ML612H)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Widdrington, Ralph (WDRN632R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Paman, Henry (PMN643H)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Billers, John (BLRS666J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Ayloffe, William (ALF680W)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Castle, Edmund (CSTL716E)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Williams, Philip (WLMS710P)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Skynner, John (SKNR740J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Lort, William Lort (MNSL770WL)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Wordsworth, Christopher (WRDT825C)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Bateson, William Henry (BT829WH)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^"Clark, William George (CLRK839WG)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^Cf. Bowen, Anthony. 2009. Cambridge Orations, 1993–2007: A Selection. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511609626.
^"PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY - Cambridge University Reporter Special No 4 (2016-17)".