Neil Cossons

Sir Neil Cossons OBE FSA FMA (born 15 January 1939) is Pro-Provost and Chairman of the Council of the Royal College of Art, of which he has been a Governor since 1989. From 1986 to 2000 he was the Director of the Science Museum, London, UK, the National Museum of Science & Industry (NMSI). (The NMSI includes the National Railway Museum, York and the National Media Museum, Bradford (Previously the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television) Previously he was the first Director of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust from 1971 and then at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich from 1983. At the age of 60, he took over as Chairman of English Heritage, a post he held from 2000 to 2007.^[1]

The son of a Beeston, Nottinghamshire headmaster, Neil Cossons studied historical geography at university.^[2]

Cossons was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1982 and knighted for services to museums and the heritage in 1994. He was President of the Museums Association 1982/3 and is a Fellow of the Museums Association (FMA) and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Cossons was awarded an honorary degree from the Open University as Doctor of the University.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage, and Julian Spicer, Chair of Heritage of London Trust outside the newly opened waterpoint, English Heritage, UK.
2. ^ Sir Neil Cossons, Exploring Beeston's History.

External links

• Sir Neil Cossons has taken over as Chairman of English Heritage

Cultural offices
Preceded by Dame Margaret Weston	Director of the Science Museum 1986–2000	Succeeded by Dr Lindsay Sharp

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Name	Cossons, Neil
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Date of birth	15 January 1939
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