Director of the British Museum

The Director of the British Museum is the head of the British Museum in London, a post currently held by Neil MacGregor. He is responsible for that institution's general administration and reports its accounts to the British Government. The actual governance of the British Museum, however, is delegated to its Board of Trustees. [http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/the_museum/about_us/management_and_governance/museum_governance.aspx]

At the Museum's inception its most senior member of staff was called 'Principal Librarian'. The job title became 'Director and Principal Librarian' in 1898, and 'Director' in 1973 (on the separation of the British Library from the Museum).

Principal Librarian of the British Museum (1756)

*Gowin Knight, first in the role, 1756–1772
*Dr Matthew Maty, 1772–1776
*Dr Charles Morton, 1776–1799
*Joseph Planta, 1799–1827
*Henry Ellis, 1827–1856
*Anthony Panizzi, 1856–1866
*John Winter Jones, 1866–1873
*Sir Edward Augustus Bond, 1873–1888
*Sir Edward Maunde Thompson, 1888–1898

Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum (1898)

*Sir Edward Maunde Thompson until 1909
*Sir Frederic (George) Kenyon, 1909–1931
*Sir George Francis Hill, 1931–1936
*Sir (Edgar) John Forsdyke, 1936–1950
*Sir Thomas (Downing) Kendrick, 1950–1959
*Sir Frank Francis, 1959–1969
*John Wolfenden, 1969–1974
*John Pope-Hennessy, 1974–1976

Director of the British Museum (1973)

*John Pope-Hennessy until 1976
*David M. Wilson, 1977–1992
*Robert Anderson, 1992–2002
*Neil MacGregor, 2002–present